A Place to be wanted
by Youko-Rose
Summary: She wore a dress with cherries on it goin' some place where shed be wanted... based on that line by sara evans and takes place after the 3rd xmen, Rogue is going through some canges and leaves the school, leaving a hurt and confused Logan behind ROGAN
1. She wore a dress with cherries on it

Well hey there! I'm Viper and you, lovely reader, are about to embark on a dangerous task. This is my first ever x-men fanfic…so I hope it goes well (I think it has potential)  PLEASE read and review so I'll know whether to continue writing x-men or stick to my traditional fanfics.

Oh and for my disclaimer…….I do NOT own any of the wonderful characters in this story…no matter how much I wish I did.

The first few pagers are simply about Rogue so you can see a bit more into her character but never fear…Logan comes into the story and plays a major role : )

So there, I hope I covered everything and I hope _you_ enjoy reading A Place to be Wanted.

It had failed her.

The one thing she had put her faith in. It was supposed to bring her into the world as a normal person...and it had _failed._

She had been told that the workers at the clinic misjudged the magnitude of her mutation. Supposedly they had given her the incorrect amount of the Cure and it hadn't really freed her of her "curse". All it did was surprises the mutation temporarily.

Now Rogue sat in the back seat of the bus looking back on what had gotten her this far. When she stopped to think about it, she had been extremely irrational. After all no one but her seemed disturbed by the sudden resurrection of her powers. Everyone at the institution tried their best to keep her calm…but she couldn't. After all… they didn't know what it was like.

_They don't have to live with this. They can touch each other…they've never sent people into comas just by touching!_

Rogue had been angry with all of them. Even Storm expected her to continue all of the day's classes like nothing had happened. It was as if the teachers didn't care that Rogue had simply brushed arms with Kitty Pride and caused her to start convulsing in the middle of a class change.

And then there was Bobby…

When she tore down the halls of the school he was directly behind her. Just as she reached the door, the Ice Man had grabbed hold of her recently gloved hand, trying to get her under control. But Rogue didn't care. Her tears were stinging in her eyes and all she could think about was getting away. She roughly jerked her arm free of Bobby's grip and ran as hard as she could away from the School.

Marie could hear him behind her…he was running hard, his breathing heavy and labored. Bobby called, begging his girlfriend to turn around and come home, that Storm could fix it and everything would be ok.

But Rogue simply ran harder. As far as she was concerned no one could help her and by this time her tears were streaming down her face and sweat forced some of her white hair to cling to her face. The girl had no idea how far she had ran…but when she stopped, the school was only a glimmer in the setting sun and city streets had begun to unfold around her.

Slowly her mad run turned into a jog and then a slothful walk. Rogue didn't really know where she was, and quite frankly she didn't care. She stumbled her way into a local park and sat down on the closest bench.

Her mind raced with everything that happened and she wished that someone were there to hold her. And for the first time in a long time…she didn't wish for Bobby. For the first time since she began dating the Ice Man…Marie wished that Logan was there to hold her.

The mere thought of Wolverine made her heart ache more than it was already and quietly she laid her head on the bench and began to sob.

When the sun's first rays fell over the tops of the trees, they softly caressed the side of Rogue's face causing her bright green eyes to flutter open.

Her first thoughts upon waking were that she needed a new change of clothes…bad. The sweat from her run and the dew during the night hadn't made a pleasant combination on her body. Carefully Rogue sat up and pushed her tangled hair out of her eyes observing her surroundings. The park was beautiful…much more glorious than she had seen it the previous night. Just looking at the bright colors lifted her spirits and made her realize that life would continue on…mutation or not.

But pride made her stubborn.

Now that she had run she couldn't go back. Returning would accomplish nothing, all it would do would be to prove that Storm and the others were right…everything would be ok. Besides, the one person she would return for wasn't there to begin with…Logan was gone.

Ever since Logan made the difficult decision of ending Jean's life he had simply disappeared. Every one said that the Wolverine was fine, simply drifting from place to place, but Marie didn't care, he had still vanished from her life, just as she needed him most.

But the wandering life had to have some appeal to attract the dangerous and allusive Wolverine and Marie wanted to find out what it was. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out the twenty-five dollars that she had hurriedly shoved in the day before.

Uncrumpling the wad of bills Rogue made her decision to leave a rooted life behind her and become a vagabond.

But first…she needed clothes.

The mutant girl did a lot of window-shopping. It seemed that everything she had an eye for was just slightly out of her price range… and then she came to a small discount store near the edge of town. In the window hung a single dress, black with red cherries and laced trim. To Rogue it was absolutely adorable so she stepped inside.

To say the shop was a hole in the wall would be an understatement, it was barely big enough to hold three shoppers and a worker…but the clothes were stunning.

_The best things are always found in the most unlikely of places…_

With a little persuasion the store clerk got Rogue the dress from the window and it seemed as if fate smiled on her a little that day, because it was just her size and in her budget.

After paying Marie walked from the store feeling accomplished…she still had six dollars in her pocket. Once she had picked up a hot-dog from a local vender, Rogue took sometime to simply walk the city. She ate as she went along letting the sun warm her skin and brighten her features.

By mid afternoon Rogue had decided that she had had enough of her dirty clothing and wanted to change into her new dress. Casually she made her way back to the park she had spent the night in and when no one was around…she dove into the closest open water fountain.

The water felt cool against her burning skin and she remained there under the water for a little while longer. When she emerged she pushed her hair out of her face and ran her hands over her arms and legs, scrubbing off the dirt.

Once out of the pool she walked, dripping, over to a large oak tree. There she simply stripped down and changed outfits.

The dress was stunning over Rouge's body. It clung to her skin like a glove and accented every curve beautifully. The dress came down slightly past her knees and the laced V-neck showed off her slender neck. In the heat of the afternoon it didn't take long before her hair had dried. Her long brown locks fell over her shoulders and the white accents blew across her face. To anyone who passed her, there was no doubt she was beautiful.

The young woman had spent a good portion of the day simply observing the other people in the park and by the time the sun was beginning to set Rogue had decided that she needed to find somewhere where she could fit in and be wanted.

Marie knew that going back to Xavier's was not an option, so she counted up the amount of money left in her possession and made her way to the closest bus stop.

When Rouge climbed onto the bus there were only a few passengers occupying seats. Careful not to disturb the other passengers, she made her way to the back seat of the Gray Hound that could comfortably hold two people.

She wondered how far the bus could take her and how long she could stay on board. When all the other passengers had left she asked the bus driver how long she could stay and to her surprise Marie had managed to clamber onto the cross-country line so she could go anywhere she wanted.

But sleeping on the bus was another matter…the gray hound line tried to make a point of banning people from staying over night on they vehicles…. but the driver seemed to have a special liking for Rogue and her slender dress, so he allowed to stay as long as she wanted.

_Things have really started to go my way…nothing could be better._

But Rogue knew she was lying to herself…it could be better…Logan could be there with her.

And for the second time Marie fell asleep in a place other than the school, wishing for Logan's comforting arms.

Logan's bike came to a screeching halt in front of two massive oak doors. From the moment he stepped inside those doors, he new things were different.

Scott wasn't there to sarcastically tell Logan to "Filler' up" as he tossed back his motorcycles keys.

Xavier's ominous voice didn't echo through the halls, gently asking Logan to see him in his office

And most of all…

Jean Gray was no longer there to stop the proud Wolverine in his tracks with her beauty.

But al least _she _was still there, or so he hoped. Seeing her was the only thing that prompted Logan to come back to the institute in the first place.

Thankful that afternoon classes were still in session Logan made his way to the dorm's door. He knew that her last class on Thursday ended just before lunch so she would be in her room…

He softly knocked on her door and waited for a response…

"Rogue, you in there?"

He knocked again meeting only silence…

"Hey kid its me…open the door…Rogue?"

Feeling slightly uneasy, Logan reached down and placed his hand on the doorknob and before he begun to turn it the door slightly creaked open. Giving the door a harder push, it swung open to reveal the contents of the room.

The girl's dorm was in a state of chaos. Drawers were hanging open with clothes strode out all over the room. The closet door was thrown open with shoes and gloves littering the floor.

Logan made his was over to Rogue's CD player and noticed that it was on pause. After a short debate with himself, Wolverine decided to find out what Marie had been listening to.

Softly the music picked up where it had left off and "Since I Don't Have You" By Guns N' Roses began to play.

Then it hit him… Marie was gone. The room wasn't just a mess because a teenage girl lived there…it was destroyed because someone left in a hurry…with no intention of coming back.

By the time the realization fully hit him he had already tore down the hall and was in the process of busting through Storm's classroom door, not caring that a class was being held.

"Where the Hell is she?"

Storm carefully laced her fingers together and placed them on her desk.

"Logan…its good to see you but right now I'm in the middle of a lesson and I would prefer -----"

" Storm…. where…the hell…is she…"

Logan was getting up set and the last thing he wanted was to have Storm play games with him. And she knew it. The look in his eyes was that of utter determination…he knew Storm could tell him what happened to Marie and he was determined to find out.

After taking a deep breath Storm dismissed her class for the day and watched as the puzzled students shot Logan unsure glances as they passed.

"Logan, won't you please take a seat?"

The young professor gently motioned to the chair beside her desk.

"Come, tell me what's bothering you that was dire enough to cause you to intrude on my class"

Logan simply remained where he was as he glared at his fellow Xman.

"Don't play games with me Storm…you know what I want…tell me what I want to hear"

"Well…as you discovered…Rogue is no longer here."

" I already bloody knew that! Why ELSE do you think I'm here!"

Aggravated, Logan threw his arms in the air and waved them about the room.

"Tell me something I don't know…like where she went."

" That's the thing Logan…we… well…we don't know. Now before you say anything know that we've been trying to locate her…but as you can guess without the professor its quite difficul—"

"You don't KNOW! How can you not know?"

"Logan it's not that simple…"

But Storm knew her words were wasted, for Wolverine was already gone.

ALRIGHTY! That was the first chappie so let me know it ya liked it…loved it or hated it. I love reviews so yup ya know what to do!

Viper


	2. When i look into those eyes

I'm Back! Who's excited…I am! I don't think all you readers know how much your reviews made my day. I'm soooo glad people like this story, and I couldn't wait to get onto the next chappie : ) (Which I hope is just as loved as the last)

Oh and to one of my lovely readers…you know who you are lol…. I updated so now you must update as well. : )

And before I forget…..Disclaimer: I own none of the character in this story, I am only a poor junior who spends her summers writing fanfiction.

So there we go and I hope you like the second installment to A Place to be Wanted.

Rogue had been traveling for days, not really knowing where she was going and not really caring. She now knew what Logan loved about the wandering life…it was always exciting. She never knew what character would grace the seat next to her, but she always looked forward to it.

Each soul was different, each with different emotions, different spirits, and like her, each held their own secrets. Sometimes people would talk with her, giving her a small glimpse into their life, but other times the passenger would respond with cold eyes to her welcoming questions.

But one thing was always the same…when she was wearing her dress, men always ran their eyes over her, oblivious to the fact that she could see their every move. It was amazing the different reactions her two outfits would gather. One turned men off while the other turned them on, she supposed it was because her old band T-shirt and ripped jeans made her look oddly like a hobo.

Every other day she would change outfits. The driver of the bus always seemed more than welcome to give Rogue enough money to run the washing machine at the local Laundromats. She figured he only gave her the quarters so he could see her in her more mature outfit, but she didn't mind…it was an easy way to get what she wanted.

One day, after stepping back onto the bus, the driver informed her that after stopping at one more city they would be on the road for quite a while. The next town was over one hundred miles away…with no stops except for gas.

Marie could see the shock look on the driver face when she explained to him her situation.

"Sugar…I've been on this bus for some time now. If I was plannin' on leaving, I would have done it a _long _time ago. Honestly I'm enjoying just riding around for awhile…it's a nice change."

With that she slowly walked back to her seat and wondered who the next passenger would be.

Logan cursed the bike for the thousandth time.

Why did it have to run out of gas _here_…in the middle of no where? He scuffed the ground with the heal of his boot and began to pace on the side of the road. He supposed that he could walk to the nearest town to get gas…but that wasn't the real problem. The real problem what that he was out of money. Well not exactly _out_ but he seriously doubted that 95 cents would be enough to buy him a new tank of gas.

But something in his gut was telling him to keep going. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn't found a single trace of Marie…or it could have been the fact that he hadn't had a real meal in days. Either way, he knew that he couldn't give up so easily.

So he contemplated his options.

He could sit here and wait for someone to find him and take him to the nearest town…

_Nah…._

Or he could stop pacing and walk to the town. From there he could catch a bus to continue his search for Marie.

The second seemed like a much better option, so Wolverine started to walk away….only to remember the bike. He could exactly just leave it there…but it wasn't like Scott was going to miss it. Besides…if Scott did return…by some odd freak of nature…he was sure that the guy could use Cerebro…somehow…and find the abandoned bike.

With that Logan shrugged his shoulders and walked off…

It wasn't his problem anyway.

The treck into town seemed a lot shorter when he planned the trip in his head. He had just recently reached the outskirts of town and he had to go all he way into the heart of the stupid place just to find a bus stop. The only thing that kept him from stopping was the notion that Rogue was hiding somewhere just around the corner.

So he continued on, carrying his leather jacket slung over his shoulder. When he finally reached the interior of the city he gazed at his reflection in a shop window. Scowling he started to brush off his dusty wife beater and blue jeans…which only made his scowl deepen.

Why the hell was he so concerned with his looks all of a sudden…its not like _she _was there to see him anyway.

He hated himself for thinking about such things. Logan tried to force the notion out of his head. Marie was like a little sister to him, someone to protect not someone to lust over.

But he couldn't help it.

The longer he spent looking for her, the more he wanted her…it was enough to drive any man mad, much less and animalistic one like Wolverine.

He wasn't sure how long he stood there, waiting for the bus to show up, but he certainly knew that his legs were beginning to go numb. With an aggravated grunt Logan slid down the wall of the store behind him and rested his head on his knees.

Wolverine jerked awake when he felt something touching his bare shoulder. Snarling he bolted to his feet and glared daggers into the girl that had tapped him.

"Um…I just thought that you would want to know that the bus is coming."

With that simple sentence the girl gave wolverine the cold shoulder facing the opposite direction. Logan simply snorted and threw on his jacket. Night had begun to fall and it was getting a tad chilly.

The bus was still in the distance, but Logan could see it coming. For some reason, it was the most comforting thought he'd had all day. Wanting to keep his gruff appearance he shoved the tops of his hands in his pockets and glared and everyone who passed.

A rather large group had begun to congregate around the bus stop and Logan was having a rather interesting time observing them all. There was a elderly woman scolding her son for not packing her knitting needles correctly and a young girl pulling on her moms skirt begging for the bathroom. But the couple on his right caught his eye. Trying to hide the face that he was staring, Logan observed them carefully.

It was obvious that they were in love. The young man has his arm slung around the girls shoulders, while she had her arms wrapped around his waste lacing her fingers with his. Occasionally he would lean over and whisper something in her ear, causing her to giggle.

Usually he would have found such a sight sickening…but as of late he could picture himself and Marie in that situation.

And that's when he thought…he thought that he could smell her. Rogue, he had come to discover, had a very unique sent that had slowly been engraved in his mind. As the bus pulled up the curb he could have sworn that he smelled her sent, now mingled with fresh air and laced with adventure. But as soon as he thought he had it…the fragrance vanished.

His eyes, which had glimmered with anticipation, now were cast downward as the bus' doors swung open.

The crowd had managed to push passed him while he was lost in his thoughts so he was the last to walk up the steps. When he dropped his change in the box he heard the bus driver ask if there were any seats left, but he kept his eyes down…he was not in the mood to converse with people.

"There's a seat back here."

The driver pointed to the back of the bus, and Logan slowly made his was down the isle. He finally looked up when he was about two rows from he seat…he wanted to see who he was going to be forced to sit with.

Casually his eyes traveled over the seat and what he saw stopped him in his tracks.

There she was, diligently digging through her purse… she hadn't even noticed him.

He couldn't believe his eyes and for a moment his voice was caught in his throat. When he managed to catch his breath all he could choke out was one word.

"Marie…."

And that's when those beautiful eyes flashed upward.

HOORAY! Another chapter finished I think that's record turn around time for me.

I just was to let everyone know that the next chapter won't be up for two weeks because I will be out of town… and I have no access to the computer where I'll be. So you guys will just have to be patient lol

Oh yeah and plz review...it makes me happy : )

Viper


	3. Lift me up when i'm down

Well I'm back before I thought I would be…while on my trip I wrote out the story on paper so all I had to do was type it up. And I stayed up all night doing that. 

So as everyone knows I don't own any of the characters in my story…except the bus driver I suppose I can claim him.

And a big wonderful love-filled thank you to all my reviewers! You all get cookies! Unless you don't like cookies, then you can tell me what you want instead : )

Just as a warning…this chapter is a bit heavier than all the others and its not as light and happy as I had first thought. But I think it shows Logan and Marie's bond really well and how its slowly changing….so yeah I warned you….

I hope you all enjoy the next installment of A Place to be Wanted

On the back seat of Gray Hound bus, 

_Heart so full that is could bust_

_Starin' at the rest of her life._

_She never thought this could be the place,_

_Where she could find her saving grace_

_But she fell in love,_

_She fell in love_

_On the back seat of a Gray Hound bus…._

Rogue could hardly believe what she saw.

There he was standing before her and Marie couldn't help but lock her eyes with his tired ones.

The look on Logan's face was like none she had ever witnessed and she couldn't quite put her finger on what she saw. For a moment it seemed as if months of longing had vanished form his face…but Marie knew that she was mistaken. There was no way he could have been thinking of her as much as she had been thinking of him.

Neither of them spoke and both were blissfully unaware of the inquisitive stares coming from the other passengers.

Both mutants seemed afraid to look away, like they were floating in a dream and if they blinked the other would simply disappear.

Rogue wasn't sure how long she sat there staring into Logan's deep eyes, but she was positive that she could have stared at him forever. That is…until the bus driver intervened in there little staring contest.

"Excuse me, but could you _please_ sit down, we need to get under way."

Embarrassed and with her concentration broken, Rogue quickly averted her eyes. The little speck of dirt on the floor was suddenly highly interesting.

Grunting just enough to let the driver know he acknowledged his presence Logan sauntered past the last two rows of seats and quietly sat next to Marie.

He could tell Rogue was blushing, but he didn't know if her fire engine cheeks were from sheer embarrassment or from something more…

The bus jerked away from the stop and began its journey down the road.

All of the other passengers were busy in their own little worlds. Some were lost in their thoughts, others were reading a book or talking to a friend. There were only two people on the bus who were not settling into the trip…

Logan and Marie.

Silence between them had never been awkward... it was always comforting to the both of them to know that they didn't have to worry themselves with meaningless conversation to still feel welcome. But for some reason, this silence was different, almost frightening.

Both of them seemed to be racking their brains trying to find the right words to answer all the unasked questions….

Where have you been? What have you been doing? How did you get here? And most of all… did you miss me.

But Logan and Marie just continued to sit in silence, hands clapped tight in their lap, looking in opposite directions.

Until Logan broke the silence….

"Hey kid."

That seemed to shatter the awkward air better that anything Logan could have said. For in that instant Marie had thrown herself upon Logan and wrapped him in the biggest hug he had ever experienced in his life.

With her face burred in Logan's neck he began to spill out all the answers to the question Logan was secretly thinking.

" Oh Logan, I'm so sorry. I left the school, but I couldn't help it…if only you knew what happened. I wanted to tell you…but I thought you had gone…"

Rogue paused to catch her breath before continuing.

"I missed you so much."

Slowly she pulled away from Logan and a smile creeped upon her lips as she thought about how she had just acted.

" Sorry 'bout that."

Softly she began to chuckle…

"It's just that I haven't seen or talked to anyone I knew in weeks. Just had to get it off my chest, so to speak."

As she spoke Marie gently patted her chest bone and Logan had to force himself not to follow her hand with his eyes.

"Hey no worries kid. I'm just glad to see your ok."

Logan reached over and patted Marie on the shoulder, causing goose bumps to ripple across the back of her neck. If Logan could see her shudder, he certainly didn't show it. He simply placed his hands in he pockets and returned to starring out the window.

The wolverine had never been one for conversation starters, so if Marie wanted to talk she would have to be the one to initiate it.

And Rogue knew it. She had been friends with Logan a long enough to know his bad habits and this was one if them. Rogue had been gone for weeks and the man next to her could think of nothing to say.

Anything would have worked for Marie. Even if Logan talked about something pointless, like the weather, she still would have been happy.

But the more she thought about it, the more she came to realize that Logan might not have even known she was missing. If he had not gone by the school, which she doubted he had, he would have had no idea about Rogue's disappearance.

The though of Logans's indifference made her angry. After all they had been through together, he didn't seem to care about her. Suddenly she wanted to reach over and slap him, but when she turned to face him all of her anger melted away.

Even though Logan's eyes were averted away from her, Marie could still see the emotion on his face and the tiney hint of pain in his eyes.

Rogue instantly wanted to hit herself instead. She had been so caught up in her thoughts of Lagan, that she had forgotten everything that _he _ had been through.

Everyone at the school had told her about the battle at Alkatraze and how Logan had been forced to end Jean Gray's life in order to save the rest of humanity…

And he had loved her. As much as it made her jealous, she knew he loved her.

Rogue couldn't imagine what that must do to a person. Having to crush the soul of the only person you ever cared for, knowing that you had given your all and still couldn't save them.

As Marie continued to stare at Logan's tired face she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and at that moment something changed within Rogue's heart.

With a greater understanding of Logan's trauma, Marie could feel her childish crush on the wolverine evolve.

There was no doubt in her mind now…she was in love with the Wolverine.

With her new revelation, Marie didn't want the silence to continue any longer.

" So… um…what have you been up to?"

"Not much of anything…traveling mostly."

"Sounds fun."

Rogue could tell that Logan wasn't in the mood to talk, he was busy thinking. And Marie could guess was he was thinking about… Jean…but she would be only half-right.

"You wanna talk about it?"

Marie knew she was treading on dangerous water when Logan shot her the nastiest glare she had ever seen from him. But as quickly was it had appeared it was covered once again with Logan's contented mask.

" Theres nothin' really to talk about."

"Logan, you know what I mean. Do you want to talk about what happned? Do you want to talk about _her_?"

Showing that he understood Marie's question, Logan snorted and turned away.

" I know…I know its tough, but its healthy to talk about it Logan. It time you told someone how you felt. I promise it'll help…I'll help."

When Logan said nothing Marie made a bold move.

She reached out and placed her gloved hand on top of his bare one, squeezing it gently.

"Please…"

With that simple word Logan turned to face her. Marie was slightly taken aback…she had never seen so much emotional pain in a persons eyes.

Taking a slow, raged breath, Logan began to speak.

" Its…the only wound…I've never been able…to heal. It's not that I haven't seen death, its just the way it happened."

Slowly Logan's words became stronger, less shaky, as if someone else was talking for him, but he as still avoiding Marie's eyes.

"Through the whole ordeal I felt like I could save her. That I could somehow…I don't know Marie…magically bring our Jean back, When I couldn't, I felt like the entire world had fallen onto my shoulders. All the others had left….Storm, Bobby, Hank, Kitty…they were all gone and was just me and her, standing on the brink of death."

Logan didn't realize that he was beginning to squeeze Rogue's had back…

" When I looked into her eyes I knew that Jean Gray was gone…so I had to end it. But as soon as I pulled my claws from her body, guilt took over me. I couldn't help but think that if I had only tried harder, if I had been sooner…I could have saved her. Oh I don't know Marie, I just feel like it was my fault…if only I had never woken her up off that table."

As his confession closed, Logan turned and locked his eyes with Marie. He seemed to be waiting for her approval, for some sign that he wasn't crazy for blaming himself.

Rogue's eyes were once again glistening with tears, but this time Logan could see it.

He couldn't help but think that he had siad something to upset her, but in reality…Marie was simply choked up.

In all the years that she had known the Wolverine, she had never heard him speak so many words at one time and she had never heard anything spoken so beautifully. Every word he spoke was uttered with a heartfelt sorrow that brought Marie closer to the man she loved.

Gently she released her hand from Logan's grip and placed her hand on his leg.

"Sugar, those feelings are perfectly normal. It simply takes time to heal the kind of wound you have…sometimes mutations aren't enough…you most of all should know that."

"Thanks Marie."

Logan out his arm around Rogue's shoulder and pulled her into a gentle side hug, them he turned her to face him.

"Now enough about me, say, what led you to this wonderful palace on wheels?"

Marie figured that her story couldn't even begin to compare to Logan's but it would be good to tell someone who cared.

So she began to tell her story, starting with the resurrection of her powers, all the way up to when Logan got on the bus, then she dared to tell him something that she had never told another soul.

"There was this one time….just after I left the school…that I thought about just ending it all. I think it had a lot to do with the weather…it was starting to rain and I had no where to spend the night. I started to think about all the times I had been unwanted because of who I was. It just seemed to simple, all I had to do was walk out in front of a car and it would all be over…."

Marie paused and looked over at Logan…it was now her turn to look for assurance in what she believed to be silly teenage girl drama.

"Marie where did you ever get an idea like that? Walking in front of a car?"

Seeing the silly look on Logan's face Rogue couldn't help but laugh at her self. That was one of the things she loved about Logan…he could always take a heavy situation and make her laugh about it.

" I saw it in a movie once."

Both of them were laughing now and Marie couldn't help but realize how happy he made her.

"I know it was stupid, but it seemed like a good idea at the time…I'm glad I didn't though."

"Me too kid."

Logan's face suddenly became very thoughtful and then serious.

" Look, theres always gonna be a better option than takin' the easy was out…you understand? I'm not sayin' your alone in how you felt—"

"Whadda mean?"

"Listen…I'd show you the scars from all the times I tried to kill myself…but they've faded away. And I've discovered theres always a reason to keep on livin'"

"What was your reason?"

Logan knew his reason used to be Jean, but as of late his search for Rogue had been the only think to keep him going, but he wasn't going to let her know that…not yet anyway. So he came up with a reasonable answer,

"Uncovering my past."

Marie nodded slightly rested her head on Logan's shoulder.

"Thank you Logan."

"No problem, now whadda say to getting of this bus and head back home?"

Marie had never heard Logan refer to the institute as "home" and she wasn't sure if she was quite ready to go back…but if Logan was going to be there it didn't seem like such a bad idea. Besides going back with him would be better than showing up alone…Logan could at least try to keep Storm from ridiculing her…too much.

"Sounds like a plan."

Logan turned his head to look out the window and stared to see something that was oddly familiar… there were skid marks in the dirt beside the road and show prints where someone and been pacing back and forth…only there was no person and certainly no motorcycle.

Logan pointed out the window and directed Marie's attention to the ground he was looking at.

"I know I left Scott's bike there earlier…"

"Where do ya think it went?"

"No clue…but ya know…not my problem."

Marie returned her head to Logan's shoulder and he couldn't help but feel a passionate heat running through his body. Forcing the feeling down into his stomach, Logan reached around Marie's shoulder and patted her head.

"Get some rest kid, were gone have a long day ahead of us."

Finally content for the first time in weeks Marie drifted off to sleep and for the first night on her trip she didn't have to wish for Logan's presence….she had it.

TA DA! The third chapters over so please read and review, it makes me happy.

And I'm going out of town again so you'll have to wait a few days for the next chapter….happy waiting everyone!


	4. Among the fields of holly

Hello again! So my vacation was great but I am happy to be back home : ) 

Before I get into the disclaimer and stuff I need to apologize to all you readers.

I re-read the last chappie when I got home…and wanted to hit myself. There were sooooooo many typos! Idk what happened but I really got mad at myself for it. Also I realized that I spelled Alcatraz wrong….GAH! I think its because my brain was running on no sleep when I wrote it and I wanted to have it posted before I left town the next day…

But anywho I'm really sorry about that, it won't happen again.

And no one told me that they didn't like cookies so a made a whole bunch! (**Passes out cookies) **

And as you know I don't own any of the character in my story: ( 

So I think I've wasted enough time and please enjoy A place to be Wanted

A dream is a wish your heart makes 

_When you're fast a sleep_

_In dreams you will loose your heartache_

_What ever you wish for you keep._

_Have faith in your dreams and someday_

_Your rainbow will come shining through_

_No matter how your heart is grieving_

_If you keep on believing_

_The dreams that you wish will come true_

His legs were burning, his head was pounding in his skull and his breathing came in short rasps…but he couldn't stop.

_Don't look back_

Logan ran through the darkness not knowing what was ahead, but sensing that it was better than what lurked in the shadows behind him.

He could hear it breathing in slow steady breaths as it followed him, waiting for Logan's fatigue to make him vulnerable…. Logan was being stalked. Its claws scraped against the slick blackness of the floor, splitting Logan's skull and screeching in his ears.

Suddenly Logan stopped running and let his tired arms drop to his side. He turned in every direction trying to locate his attacker, but his senses were disoriented due to his fatigue. Sounds seemed to be hitting him from every direction and the thick darkness began to swirl around his body, clouding his mind.

But he could smell it now. The feral stench of sweat, blood and decaying flesh swarmed in the air as a shadowed outline creeped out of the darkness. Trying his hardest to focus, Logan strained his eyes to see his attacker.

When its outline became clear, Logan's eyes widened and for the first time in years, fear rippled down his spine.

The creature was mammoth. Its humped back came up almost to Logan's chin. It stood on four muscular legs with ankles as big as Logan's arm. A long whip like tail snapped through the air and it's thick fur shifted as it walked.

To Logan's surprise, the monster seemed to have lost track of him, because Logan was facing its side. He knew he had to do something…and fast…before the beast located him again.

Logan clenched his fists and prepared for the sharp pain to cut through his knuckles…but there was nothing. When he realized that he could not control his claws Logan had a sharp intake of breath…

The monster's head snapped towards Logan and two blazing eyes ripped through the darkness. It's eyes were cold as ice, a pale blue-white pool of hatred, flecked with red as molten as lava.

Not being able to tare his eyes away from those deadly orbs, Logan stood transfixed as the beast charged at him. The whole space seemed to shudder as the giant creature loped towards the paralyzed Wolverine at an alarming rate.

His mind screamed at him to run, hide to do something…anything but stand there as easy prey…but his body wouldn't listen. Suddenly the creature leapt into the air and vanished; the darkness blanketing it. Logan stood still, his eyes scanning the shadows for any clue that would aid him in pinpointing his executioner. The air was dead quite…except for Logan's muffled breathing.

Then the creature was on him again, this time launching itself from the ceiling, catapulting its body at the helpless Logan. All he could do was cross his arms in front of his face in a hopeless defense.

From out of the darkness blasted a shining ray of light, nearly blinding the wolverine and knocking the monster out of the air.

It let out a blood-curtailing scream as the creature began to sizzle in the bright light. Its skin boiled until it seemed to turn to ash and fade away into the surrounding darkness. Logan was silhouetted in the light and he felt oddly drawn to its beauty.

He let his eyes drift upward to where the rays had broken through the darkness and was mesmerized by it…until he felt a gentle squeeze on his right arm. Logan turned to see what was touching him, but nothing was there, It was the oddest sensation he had felt in a long time. It felt as if something was wrapping itself tight around Logan's arm and was pulling it softly. The feeling was warm and strangely soft, defiantly not unpleasant. The warmth seemed to want to pull Logan to safety and for some reason, Logan found himself trusting it.

He was letting himself be pulled away by this pleasant feeling when the beam of light began to get stronger. The intensity of the golden rays burned Logan's eyes; so he shut them tight. When he reopened them his surroundings were greatly different.

Logan couldn't help but feel relieved when his woke up in the bus seat and realized that he'd been dreaming he hadn't had a nightmare like that in months. Logan looked up and out the window, feeling the bright rays of sun hit his face.

_My saving grace…_

Sighing, Logan turned his head slowly to his right. He had been wondering why he couldn't move his arm and couldn't help but smile when he saw Marie hugging his arm with her head gently pressed against his chest…fast asleep.

She looked so peaceful when she was asleep…that's one thing he had always envied in others…the ability to have a pleasant dream. Logan wished he could see what she was dreaming about to put such a contented smile on her face, and on the other hand…he didn't.

The proud wolverine didn't want the possibility that the dream was about someone other than him…like Bobby. But Logan couldn't understand why such an idea would make him upset. He had never allowed himself to love before he met Jean, and he had sworn after her death that he would never fall in love again….

But as he looked at Rouge's sleeping face, he couldn't help but feel a powerful attraction to her. She possessed an individual quality that made her stand out from the rest. It was a look she had about her that told the world that she was somebody…a force to be reckoned with.

Logan couldn't help but reach over and touch a strand of her white blazed hair, letting it run through his fingers and fall gently back on her neck.

But he wasn't falling for her…was he?

No matter what his heart told him, Logan became bound and determined to smother the feelings that he was beginning to feel.

She was too good for him anyway and besides…she had Bobby.

He continued to fondle Marie's hair, telling himself that as long as she was asleep nothing bad could happen. When a soft section of hair fell against her face Rogue mumbled something, causing Logan to jerk his hand away.

As soon as his hand was resting safely at his side Rogue's eyes began to flutter open...

It seemed to take her a moment to realize how she was resting on Logan, but when she did she practically jumped out of the seat. While trying to explain her self, Rogue put up her hands in an attempt to calm her self.

"Oh…Logan…I'm…I'm sorry, I really didn't mean t---"

" Hey stop trying to explain your self kid…you needed the rest."

"Yeah…"

Marie had her eyes cast downward in an attempt to hide her blushing cheeks. It was bad enough that she had been dreaming about him…but waking up _on _him was just about as bad as it could get. Logan must have thought her ridiculous she was sure, but if he wasn't going to say anything, she wouldn't either.

In her mind though, waking up with Logan was something she could have only wished for in her wildest dream…but she had to remember Bobby, he was at the school waiting for her to return.

Turning her mind to other matters Rogue looked out he window and noticed that the bus was approaching a small town with open fields on either side.

"Hey Logan…I think this is where we have to get off."

" Can't we just wait for a closer stop, the school is still pretty far away."

"I don't think so….this is it."

"Well I guess that means we'll be doin' some walkin'"

"Guess so."

When the bus pulled up to the stop Logan stood and waited for Marie to go ahead of him. As she stood, Logan got to see her dress fully for the first time. While Marie had her head turned picking up her purse, Logan allowed his eyes to wander over every inch of her body.

_Damn…_

Logan had only been gone a few months and yet she seemed like a whole new person. The dress fit her like a glove, making her look older than she was.

Just as Logan began to curse himself slightly for begin born a male…Marie turned around and flashed him a beautiful smile…which only made him curse harder.

Stepping off the bus the pair admired their surroundings. It was a small country town with only a few houses, a small grocery store and a post office. It seemed to be lacking a lot of modern conveniences, but one thing it was not lacking was fields. Around every house lay acres and acres of land grown up with grass.

Having been born in the south, Marie guessed that it was between planting seasons so the farmers were allowing the fields to grow freely.

As people passed them on the dirt road, Rogue smiled and gently nodded her head always receiving a smile in return. Logan on the other hand kept his hands shoved in his pockets, not even bothering to glance at the folks who passed.

When they reached the grocery store Marie announced that she was going in to ask for directions back home…

"Go ahead…not like I'm goin' anywhere."

After watching Marie enter the store, Logan realized that it was hot…really hot and he was still wearing his leather jacket. Scoffing at himself, he slid it off and threw it over his shoulder. Now with nothing to occupy his time, Logan began to dig the heal of his boot into the red dirt twisting it as he went.

His mind began to wander back to his dream and how wonderful he felt when that presence was wrapped around his arm. It was odd to think that the presence he had been feeling was Marie…he had never had a real world touch enter his dreams before.

While lost in his thoughts, Logan did see Marie come up beside him and stare at him.

"Havin' fun sugar?"

Logan snapped out of his thoughts only to see Marie grinning at him. When Logan gave her the what's-so-funny look, Rogue pointed to the shallow hole being made by Logan's boot.

"I really doubt you'll dig to China that way."

"Cute…real cute…"

Marie's grin simply grew wider as she began to walk away, leaving Logan behind. When he caught up with her, she was walking towards one of the open fields.

"Mind tellin' me where you're headin'?"

"Home… where else? The man said that to get back to the school we needed to travel Northwest. After about 12 miles we should recognize where were at."

"Kay…that means we need to cross this field. Do ya think you're up for that Marie?"

Shrugging off Logan's smart comment Rogue put on her best southern drawl…

"Suga', I was practically raised in open fields… don't you think I should be askin' _you_ that question…city boy?"

After tossing her hair over her shoulder Marie made her way into the field occasionally glancing over at the aggravated Wolverine walking beside her. Ok so maybe the city boy remark was a little much…after all the first time that she met him was in Lofland City… that little po-dunk town in Canada.

"Aw calm down Logan…it was a joke."

"If I was any calmer, I'd be dead."

"I hope not…then who would I go field hopping with?"

Logan looked over at Marie and cracked a smile….

"No clue."

Then silence sat in. Both of them were comfortable with the silence, there was an understanding between them, as if they didn't need to talk to be understood.

As they walked, Logan reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a lighter and one neatly wrapped cigar. After unwrapping it, Logan placed it in his mouth and lit it, puffing three of four times to make sure the flame took. Logan drew deeply, holding the smoke in his mouth admiring the flavor before releasing the smoke back out into the air.

While he was doing this Marie was starring at him thoughtfully.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Smoke those."

"Well…for one… it passes the time, but really its all about the flavor. That's the whole point of a cigar. It's also why you never fully inhale the smoke. You simply hold it in your mouth tasting the flavor and breath it back out again. Besides it makes cool smoke rings."

As he finished his sentence, Logan took another drag on the cigar and blew out tiny little circles of smoke that danced in the air before vanishing.

"See?"

"I guess…but it smells nasty."

"Only certain brands, the cheep stuff ya know, but I can't afford anythin' other than that."

Logan chuckled at his own remark and blew out more smoke.

Rogue suddenly found herself very board with simply walking and began to run through the field.

"Come on Logan!"

Still running Marie called to Logan from over shoulder…

"Catch me if you can!"

Never being able to resist a challenge, Wolverine tore after Rogue, fore going the cigar and allowing her to keep the lead for the majority of the chase. Marie was all smiles. Her face shone with happiness and her laughter seemed to be endless. When Logan saw that she was getting tired, he sped up, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards him.

Marie stumbled and when she stopped, her face was mere inches from Logan's. Both seemed unsure of what to do next, Logan still had his hand on Marie's arm and both of them were breathing heavily.

Logan was the first to move by releasing Marie's arm. The sensation in his stomach was becoming too much for him to handle. Seeing that Logan was leaving the embrace, Marie pulled away and sat on the ground.

"I need to breathe."

"Good idea."

Logan sat down beside her as Marie leaned back to lay on the grass. Logan tossed his jacket out beside him and decided that lying down might not be a bad idea…if he could keep himself under control. Logan rested his head on his hands and looked over at Marie.

" What do ya wanna talk about?"

"I don't know really…I've already bugged you about the cigars."

Marie smiled and turned her head towards Logan feeling her heart flutter. He looked so unreal next to her like an impossible dream. And yet…there he was, looking back at her, their bodies nearly touching.

Logan sat up stretched his legs out in front of him.

"Ya know kid, we always seem to wind up in the oddest places together."

" I guess that's how its supposed to be. More fun that way."

By this time Marie had sat up as well and had her arms wrapped around her legs. She had to fight back the urge to lean in and kiss Logan and she wasn't sure how long she could push it back.

When Logan looked at her, she thought she could see a hint of yearning in his features, like he wanted her just as bad as she wanted him and there was only one way to find out.

_No day like today…._

With out giving Logan anytime to react, Rogue had pressed her lips against his and closed her eyes, waiting for the rejection she felt sure was to come. Logan on the other hand was fighting a battle with himself. Part of him told him to break the kiss but a stronger part told him that they were out in the middle of a field…who would find out? 

So Logan pulled Marie into a tight embrace, wrapping his arms around her. Marie's hands moved up the back of Logan's neck and came to rest in his hair as the kiss deepened.

Rogue couldn't believe what was happening…Logan was kissing her and his life wasn't being drained away. She had no idea how it happened, but she decided that she would find that out later…right now she was indulging in pure bliss.

Getting lost in the moment, they fell back onto the grass each enjoying the sensations they were feeling. Rogue had never been kissed like this before. Logan was powerful and confident, the strength in his kiss proving it. Bobby and certainly never kissed her like that…he always seemed cautious, afraid that if they kissed to long his strength would fade from him. But Logan was passionate and skilled, knowing how to make Marie feel wanted.

Logan was trying his hardest to reserve himself…he knew that Marie had only been kissed a few times and didn't want to push her to far. He was only slightly taken aback when he noticed that Marie wasn't sucking the life out him, he was to busy with other things to really care. During the kiss Logan allowed himself to get lost in the lust that he had been experiencing for months and his began to feel at peace with himself.

_I bet Bobby never treated her like this…_

And that's when it hit him, hit him like a ton of bricks…Marie still had a boyfriend.

_Shit…_

Logan broke the kiss and whispered her name… 

"Marie…"

Rogue leaned up, trying to catch Logan in another kiss, but he pulled away.

"Marie, stop."

Looking slightly hurt, Rogue untangled her hands from Logan's hair and allowed him to sit up.

"Marie…we can't do this."

"Why not?"

"Because…your still with Bobby."

Logan didn't bother to mention the millions of other reasons why they shouldn't be getting involved…but he'd save them for a later conversation…

Marie looked shocked. She had gotten so caught up in the moment that she had totally forgotten about her boyfriend. Running her hands through her hair and sighing Marie stood up, brushing off her dress.

"Yeah…."

She didn't know what else to say…what else can you do when you realize that you just cheated on you boyfriend with the man you love.

"So I suppose we should start back."

Nodding slightly Logan stood up and quickly lit up another cigar…this time Marie said nothing.

Oh I know what you're thinking…I can't just leave the chappie here. Well guess what…I can… MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA! But anywho that's all for now. I hope you loved it…if so leave me a review, if not leave me one anyway.

I don't think you know how much you ppl help me out when you give me suggestions. I don't think I used any Whaddas this go around…but I must agree…that did sound rather odd when spoken.

So c ya next chappie!

Viper


	5. The road that leads me back to you

HI AGAIN! I don't know why, but I really like this chapter….so I hope you do too. Its shorter than the others so I hope you don't mind.

Oh! And I've decided to take a moment and dedicate it to the reviewers sooooooo here it goes!

ashleigh-weasley: I'm glad you liked it! And thanks for the correction of Laughlin city…I didn't think I was right, but my parents didn't know either. When you think about it Laughlin just makes more sense than Lofland…hehehe

Gwenfrewi72: I'm really happy you liked the whole field thing…I wasn't sure how ppl would take it, so that makes me HAPPY! Hehe I hope you like this chapter too…oh btw hope you liked the cookies I slaved over a hot fire to make them. **grin**

Maladicta: I loved your comment. Idk it just made me feel good about my story so thank you soooooo much! While I was listening to _Backseat of a Gray Hound bus_ the picture of the dress just kinda popped into my head, glad you liked it! Can't wait to read the review from this chappie!

Gynx8: Man! I just have to say it…I love you! All of your reviews just brighten my day and I'm super glad you came across my story and decided to read it. Just your upbeat and happy remarks made me wanna continue writing this chappie! As you've probably guessed…I can't spell worth beans…and spell check isn't much of a help when I need it…so when you pointed out that I spelled Laughlin wrong I was very grateful. Hope you like this chapter as well!

sheisbeautiful-sheisnotme: I have sooo much I wanna say to you…but the first off is a big ol' THANK YOU! You've helped me out so much with this story…correcting me and all. Your little spouts of wisdom are greatly appreciated and I hope you continue to deliver them through the rest of the story. When I wrote this chapter I tried to keep in mind all the stuff you've said, and if I forgot and screwed up sentences and used bad grammar….hehehe… let me know. Oh and before I forget….the dream scene. It really does serve a purpose…but it comes in later in the story, sry if it seemed rushed. But thank you again….your absolutely awesome!

kissxthexstarsxgoodbye: After a week of waiting…heres your chapter! I hope you like it just as much as you did the other 4. I hope you continue to review…they mean a lot to me…as you know. Tell me what a think of this one!

MYBIGBLUEBOX: Oh yes I can leave it there….MUHAHAHAHHA! but I continued, so here ya go! I hope you like this chapter and feel the urge to leave me a review at the end if it. Enjoy reading my firend!

Maria Potter1: HOORAY for really good chapters! Hehehe I'm glad you liked the last one…I was afraid it would get some iffy reviews, but you made methink other wise. I really hope you like this one too…even if it is a tad short…and like it enough to leave a review. Your wonderful!

Goshikku Seirei: I know! Bobby is always screwing things up…but I can't tell ya what happens in this chapter with him….you'll have to read and find out hehehehe. I promise he'll get out of the way eventually…just not yet. So in the meantime…I hope you enjoy this chapter too!

You people have no idea how much you've helped me and I just wanted to throw that out there. **Smiles**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything in this story…. except the plot line. And the songs I forgot to include in the past two disclaimers belong to Sara Evans and the creators of Cinderella.

I hope you enjoy this chappy in A place to be Wanted!

Logan couldn't help but chew at the end of his cigar…the silence was making him uneasy.Marie had been standing beside him for some time now without saying a word. She simply walked straight ahead her eyes glued to the path in front of her, shoulders slightly slumped.

How could he have let himself become so careless! They had simply been talking, and in the next instant his entire world had shifted around him. Yes he had been hoping for that moment for sometime now, but she was better than that…better than him.

Slowly Logan rolled the last remaining portion of his cigar in his fingers, her silence bothered him, made him feel like she was blaming him for the whole ordeal. But that was ridiculous; after all she had kissed him first. Not that he had done anything to deter the moment…but still…it wasn't his fault.

_She shouldn't have been so careless_

Tossing the butt of the cigar aside Logan sighed… they were coming to the edge of the fields and Logan could see the city, it wouldn't be long before they reached the institution. Marie's pace seemed to slowly and the walked into the hustling and bustling streets of New York. Slowly her eyes drifted over to Logan and he couldn't help but look back at her. When their eyes locked, Marie stopped walking.

"It's been a while since I've been here."

Logan looked at her questionably…as far as he knew she had never been to the city at all…

" When have you come here?"

" Oh just for a day trip you know, on the weekend, Bobby brought me."

Logan scoffed at this comment and turned away. Rogue felt the awkward air of the situation. She hadn't really meant to bring up Bobby, it just slipped out…and Rogue instantly regretted it.

"I don't want to go back."

The statement was plain, lacking emotion, but Logan could guess why she didn't want to return home. But he decided that he'd play it safe and dance around that topic.

"Why? Not like any ones gonna be upset with you."

"You know that's not what I'm talking about."

"I'm clueless."

"Logan. Stop acting dumb. I want to go back to that field…relive that----"

"Forget it kid."

With that statement Logan shoved one of his hands hard into the pockets of his jeans and began attempting to hail a cab. Marie on the other had stood a little ways behind him, his words stinging her heart. She had dared to bring up the kiss and now he was shrugging her off…like nothing happened. Why did he want to forget something that was so wonderful…for both of them? She knew he was expecting Bobby to be a problem, but _her_ boyfriend was _her _problem and she would deal with it. While lost in her thoughts Marie didn't see the bright yellow taxi pull up beside Logan.

"You commin' kid?"

Nodding slightly Marie made her way over to where Logan stood holding the door open. Once they had both climbed in Marie instructed the driver on where to take them.

"Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters, please."

Without saying a word the cab driver sped off weaving through traffic and ignoring loud blasts from other car horns as they passed. As the car drove from the hustle and bustle of the city to the calmer countryside where the school was located, Logan and Marie hardly spoke. Occasionally Marie would try to start a conversation, but Logan would give a short reply, usually a grunt or a snort, cutting the conversation short.

Before to long Marie began to see the beautiful green landscape of the institute's grounds. Students were scattered everywhere, enjoying the warm afternoon sun. The cab screeched to a halt when it came to two large iron gates at the building entrance.

Noticing that the driver had no intention of taking them farther than where they were, Marie started to open her door.

"We can walk from here…thank you."

She quickly dug through her purse, hoping that she still had money left over from when the bus driver last gave her some. Finding only a ten-dollar bill, Marie got out of the car and walked over to the driver's open window.

"This is all I have, hope it's enough."

She produced the bill and reached her arm into the window. The driver quickly snatch up the money and without saying a word, turned around a sped off in the direction of the city.

"Hey! He didn't even say if ten--"

"Don't worry about it. If it bothers you that bad I'll give you another ten."

Rogue hadn't even seen Logan exit the cab, and yet there he was, punching the code numbers into the keypad that unlocked the gate. When the big iron gate swung open Logan casually walked through it, expecting Marie to follow him. And she did. As much as she wasn't ready to face Bobby, she wanted to be with Logan. Slowly they walked up the path that led to the schools set of large wooden doors. Already Storm was rushing out of them, arm open in front of her.

When she reached Rogue, the older woman wrapped her in a huge hug, careful to avoid Rogue's bare skin.

"Oh goodness. This is wonderful! Logan where ever did you find her?"

Logan simply shrugged his shoulders…

"On a bus."

Storm looks confused for a moment, then shrugged of the feeling, glad to have Rogue where she belonged. As Maire stood there staring into Storm's deep eyes, two more figures made there way up to them…taking Maire's breath away. Flanking Storm stood two people she knew to be dead.

Scott Summers and professor Xavier were gazing at her, studying her, very much alive.

Still in shock Marie stumbled to find her words.

"What, how, oh my god, how is this possible?"

Professor X wheeled his chair over to where Rogue stood.

"We will save that conversation for another time my dear. Right now, I feel _you _are of up most importance."

Slowly Xavier made his way over to Logan, who was trying his best not to look amazed by the professor's appearance.

"We will talk later."

"What for?"

"A little incident concerning an abandoned motorcycle."

The professor had a smug smile on his face as Logan flashed his eyes toward Scott who was glaring daggers at him. As usual…Logan was unimpressed.

"Sure."

About this time, Logan's sharp eyes picked up something running towards Marie…this annoyed the crap out of him, he could already tell who it was.

Bobby grabbed Marie in a fierce hug as he stroked her hair.

"Rogue…I'm so happy to see your safe."

By this point Bobby had closed his eyes and was completely unaware of Rogue's tension. Her eyes were locked with Logan's.

"I missed you so much."

"Yes Bobby…I…missed you too."

Marie's words were detached, with no real meaning placed into them, and the whole time her eyes never left Logan's. By the end of her sentence Logan drug his eyes away from Marie's captivating stare and he snorted. The whole scene was disgusting…. Bobby was disgusting. Reaching into his pocket Logan pulled out a cigar and lit it, getting uncomfortable with the whole situation, and not even realizing the fact that Xavier was studying them both closely.

Sick with the whole situation, Logan turned and stated to stalk away, blowing smoke as he went. And even though she tried to focus on Bobby and what he was saying….Maire couldn't take her eyes off of Logan's retreating figure.

Ok…chappie over! Sorry if it seemed a tad short…I just felt that it should end right there….just felt right.

Oh and before I forget….does anyone have any ideas for how xavier came back? I have an idea, but I don't think its very good, so any ideas are greatly loved. I have a plan for Scott, but the professor is proving to be difficult. If you have an idea plz tell me…no matter how abstract it is…I'll make it work.

Thanks again you ppl rock!

Viper


	6. If you love someone and it goes to waste

Hi again! This chapter should prove to be interesting…if you don't get confused. I think it makes sense…but then again…I'm not normal. So yeah…

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this story. They all belong to Marvel…not a junior in High school.

Oh and a HUGE thank you goes out to _Goshikku Seirei_ for giving me inspiration for this chappie. I really hope you like it…it all came from you and I think that it'll make this story have a bit more spice (I hope that's the right word).

So I want all you readers to know how much I LOVE you! And I hope you continue to review my work, it just makes it better.

I hope you enjoy another installment to A Place to be Wanted

_When the tears come streaming down your face  
When you lose something you can't replace  
When you love someone but it goes to waste  
could it be worse?_

_Lights will guide you home  
and ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you_

_High up above or down below  
when you too in love to let it go  
If you never try you'll never know  
Just what your worth_

_Coldplay – Fix You_

It had only been a week…and yet Bobby could tell something wasn't right. Ever since Rogue had returned to the school she had been different. She was aloof and distant, never really wanting to talk. She had also grown irritable whenever Bobby tried to ask her what happened while she was gone.

That's how he'd gotten himself into this mess in the first place. All he had done was ask Rogue what happened when Logan found her…and she went ballistic. She promptly told him that it was none of his business and stormed out of the room, flipping her long hair over her shoulder.

Just when bobby thought he'd seen the last of her for a while, Rogue stuck her head back into the room and pulled something off of her gloved hand.

"And you can have this back for a while…"

Then she threw the object on the ground and huffed back out the door.

Bobby sat alone in the silence for a while, starting at the object glistening on the floor. Sighing softly bobby rose and made his way over the glinting shape where he crouched on the floor and ran his hand over the object before gently picking it up.

He had given Rogue the ring for their sixth month anniversary, and as far as he knew…she had never taken it off…. until now. He slowly rose and made his way back over to the couch where he slumped into its back. Bobby studied the ring closely…it looked just like it had when he gave it to her. The ring was gold with two triangle shaped gems connecting at the center vertically. The top stone was a blue topaz and the bottom was pink sapphire. On each side of the main stones were three small diamonds cut into circles. The ring was not the most expensive thing on the market…but it certainly wasn't cheep. Bobby had spent almost a year of savings to buy Rogue her ring, and now it sat in the palm of his hand…rejected.

A sudden movement to Bobby's right caught his attention and drew him from his thoughts. He was afraid that Rogue would be standing in the doorway when he looked up; ready to blast him with an insult… but instead he saw the familiar face of Warren, the Arc Angel. Bobby wasn't really in the mood to talk, but Warren was his friend so he couldn't really tell him off.

"Hey, what's up?"

Warren had walked over to the couch and plopped down beside Bobby. His eyes were glued to the golden ring in Bobby's hand.

"I really don't want to talk about it Warren."

"Alright, but did it have something to do with Rogue?"

"Man do you ever give up?"

"No…not really."

Bobby looked up and saw that Warren had a silly grin plastered to his face. It was pretty plain to see that Warren had already heard about Bobby's trouble and was only here to cheer him up.

"She told you didn't she?"

"No…not directly. She just shoved past me on the way to the combat room…mumbling about you under her breath. I made my own explanation. "

"Oh."

"So, is it over?"

"I really don't know. She said it was only for a while…but I feel like something's coming between us."

"It might be best to let things lie for a while ya know? Let her cool down. You never know what could have happened while she was gone."

"Yeah…I guess your right. Its just odd, everything was going so well…and now this."

Bobby threw the ring up in the air and caught it, shoving it in his pocket.

"Thanks for talking Warren, but I think I just want to think things over."

"No problem."

Warren stood and made his way out the door, leaving Bobby all alone with his ring. Softly he patted his pocket and looked out the window, where every thing seemed to be happy…

As Warren walked from the room, he couldn't help but smile. Bobby may have been one of his best friends, but he was a guy too. Ever since he met Rogue he had secretly wanted to be with her. But she had always been with Bobby and Warren knew when not to over step his bounds. So for the past few months, Warren had played down his emotions…but now the Rogue and Bobby relationship was on the rocks and he saw his opportunity.

He had always valued his friendship with Bobby, so if he was no longer with Rogue, who was to say that Warren had done something wrong? There was also a part of him that simply wanted to know what it was like to be in a real relationship. In the past Warren had never gotten close to girls, his father didn't want to risk someone discovering his wings. Now opportunity was knocking, and Warren was prepared to take it.

Rogue was the kind of girl a guy could be proud of. She was sweet, loving and she still had a mind of her own. Warren knew that Rogue didn't let people push her around, she was determined to be outspoken and that was what he liked about her.

He just hoped she could like him back.

Marie didn't really feel like training…her mind was to hectic. She could hardly believe that she had given Bobby his ring back… that was one thing she didn't foresee. Rogue guess how distant Logan would become once they returned to the school. She could guess how strange it would be to have the professor and Scott back. But she never saw the demise of her relationship with Bobby.

They hadn't officially broken up, but Marie could tell that her feelings for Bobby were not as strong as they had been. He just wasn't the guy she had always pictured herself with…he was still immature in many ways and Rogue guessed that was what finally pushed her over the edge. She didn't care that he wanted to know about her trip, it was the fact that he asked about it at every possible moment. It was as if they couldn't have a conversation with out him giving her twenty questions.

Rogue was sick of it. She had her privacy and she expected him to respect it...the way Logan did. That was another problem. Logan. He tried his best to stay away from her…avoiding her in the halls, skipping training sessions…it was obvious what Logan was doing and it drove Marie crazy. All she wanted was for Logan to acknowledge his feelings for her…which she was beginning to doubt that he had.

She needed to talk to someone…but Kitty and Jubes just wouldn't understand and there was no way that she could talk to Logan for his help…this was a touchy subject. So Marie made her way to the Library…maybe a good book would calm her mind.

As Rogue walked the isles she thought about which book she should read first…

The Thieves of Heaven was a new novel out that Kitty had shown her…but Rogue was in the mood for something different. She tapped her finger against the spine of a book while she thought about her choices. For some reason she felt oddly drawn to a book the professor had assigned the sophomore class before he had been destroyed.

Rogue scanned the isle until she finally found the book she was looking for.

The Once Future King had a plane cover…but it seemed like the right book for her. Happy with her decision, Rogue seated herself at one of the Library's numerous tables. After sitting with a sigh, Marie opened the book to the first page and began to read.

Logan's emotions were running haywire. He never allowed himself to get caught up in trivial emotions…but this girl had messed him up big time. She consumed his thoughts and swarmed in the only place he thought he was safe….his dreams. He thought his nightmares would be an escape from the real world…but that blasted girl always found a way to creep into them.

He didn't want to love her, not because he was afraid about what others would think about him…but because he didn't want to ruin her reputation. It wouldn't exactly do her much good to be seen with someone as gruff as the wolverine.

So he spent his days avoiding her and his nights running from her…all in all it didn't make for a very good combination. Logan had decided a while ago to smother all the feelings that he held for Marie, but the longer he stayed away from her…the more he had to concentrate on stifling his feelings.

And then there was the problem of the professor and Scott. Logan still hadn't found the time to discuss how the two returned to the living world or the little problem Scott had with Logan leaving his bike on the side of the road.

But those things were insignificant compared to what was going on inside of him. Marie was still with Bobby. He needed to come up with a solution to his problem and fast. If Marie was going to stay with Bobby then Logan needed to move on…for good… and give them their space. Rogue didn't need him clouding her thoughts. All he could think about was the look on her face when Bobby had run up to her the day of her return. It was a look of shock, disgust and lastly the tiniest hint of love. Rogue needed to move on from him…that was the best thing for both of them.

The wolverine sat on the edge of his bed, running his hands through his dark hair. Suddenly the idea hit him. He would talk to Bobby. What about he couldn't exactly say…but it was better than nothing. So the proud wolverine stood up from his bed, threw on a wife beater and made his way down the hall… he could make a pretty good guess of where Bobby would be.

Logan had always been one to trust his instincts, so when they told him to head for the kitchen, he promptly obeyed…and Logan was glad he did… for there was Bobby, sitting at the table with a big tub of ice cream in front of him. Walking over to the fridge Logan knew better than to ask about beers…the school didn't keep them…but Logan had a secret stash. By passing the fridge Logan reached into the back of one of the lesser-used cabinets and pulled out one very hot beer.

Sitting down across from Bobby, Logan reached out his drink so the iceman could cool it off…which he did.

"We have got to stop meeting like this."

"Yeah…"

Logan had meant for the comment to lighten the mood, but Bobby stayed sour as he dug his spoon deeper into the ice cream container.

"Something' bothering' you kid?"

"You call _her_ that don't you?"

"Who?"

"You know _who_ Logan…Rogue. That's your pet name for her isn't it?"

Logan couldn't believe his ears...

"Whoa now. Where did that come from? Assuming a little much aren't we?"

"I don't know…ask her."

"What are you talking about?"

"Haven't you heard?"

Once again, Logan was being played with. Bobby knew something that he didn't and it was starting to piss him off. Logan was tired of playing games.

"Look. I don't know what your talking about and I'd just like a straight answer from you got it?"

"Yeah sure. Rogue gave me her ring back."

Logan must have had a dumb struck look on his face because Bobby suddenly got nasty…

"It means were not together! How can I make it any clearer? Do you know sign language? If I signed to you would you understand?"

" Calm down Bobby, it not the end of the world here."

"Maybe for you it isn't…she always loved you."

"Now you know that's not—"

"Don't lie to yourself. She's been in love with you since she got here and I'm just now realizing that I was always second best."

"Come on. She really cared about you and you know it."

"Maybe she did once. But that's all over now."

The two sat in an awkward silence for a moment. Bobby had his eyes glued to his ice cream and Logan began to take special concern in nursing his beer.

While Logan could guess what Bobby was thinking about, he was to interested in his own thoughts. If Bobby and Marie were really finished, and if what Bobby had said was true, then Marie had already made her choice of whom she wanted to be with.

And Logan knew that girl better than anyone else, and he knew in his heart that if Marie had settled on a guy…she wasn't changing her mind. No matter how much shit she caught for it.

With that newfound discovery, Logan knew what he had to do. If Marie didn't care about their reputations…then he didn't either. And it was pointless for him to fight emotions that he already knew he had.

Without saying a word to Bobby, Logan stood and left the room…leaving his beer on he counter.

Rogue found herself lost in the world of her book. The characters were fascinating and she was really getting into the plot line. She had been sitting there for hours, oblivious to the world around her and just as equally oblivious to the fact that Warren had come up behind her.

"What ya doin'?"

Warren's voice startled Marie, causing her to slam her book shut and whirl around in her chair.

"Oh…Warren. Hey."

"Mind if I have a seat?"

The young man motioned to the chair beside Marie and she nodded indicating that he could sit. Once sitting, Warren slowly inched his chair closer to Rogue, closing the space between them.

"I…I heard about you and Bobby."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry to hear it. You two were great together."

Marie snorted…much like Logan…

"_Were_ being the key word here. He was so immature."

"Do you think you'll get back together with him?"

"Maybe someday…but right now I want more than a little boy stuck in a young mans body."

Marie smiled at her own statement, but the smile faded when she faced Warren and noticed how close their bodies were.

"Ya know Rogue…" Warren moved closer, "Someone as beautiful as you deserves someone better than him."

Gently he reached up and traced Rogue's face with his hand and even though she hated herself for it…Marie couldn't help but close her eyes.

She knew it was wrong…she knew she should say something to Warren, to tell him to stop, but before the words could escape her mouth, delicate lips were pressed against hers.

With her eyes still closed, Marie was suddenly back in the fields…strong hands traveled over her body and she was back in the arms of the man she loved. But then…she could smell him. Rogue's eyes flashed open and she realized that she had been kissing Warren… one of Bobby's best friends. And even though that alone scared her, the fact that she could smell Logan's scent drove her mad. Her eyes flickered across the room, but she saw no one and slowly the familiar scent began to fade.

Rogue looked back into the eyes of the person sitting close to her. She knew Warren would take this the wrong way…it was an accident…wasn't it?

"Warren…"

"Shhh…I understand. I'll give you time to think about it."

With that Warren stood and turned away.

"Bye Rogue."

Then Marie was left alone again.

Logan had never felt this much pain in his entire life. He was watching them, watching the girl he was falling for kiss the lips of her fellow student. He wanted desperately to run in the room and tare them apart…but he also wanted to run away…to do anything but stand there and watch his hope fade. Although that was what he would have liked to do…Logan was frozen in the doorway, one hand still resting on the frame. By this point his breath was caught in his throat and all he could see was the look of bliss on Marie's face.

Then he saw her eyes begin to flutter under her lids and Logan could tell she was getting ready to open her eyes. Using all the strength he could muster, Logan tore himself away from the door and slowly began walking down the hall.

For the second time in his life Logan felt like his heart was breaking into a thousand bloody pieces, scattering along the floor as he walked.

The proud Wolverine was broken.

OK there ya go lovely readers! I really hope you liked it and it all made sense…it did to me anyway :)

And we must ask the questions….why didn't Mire suck the life out of Warren? What will Logan do? Why the heck won't Viper tell us how the professor and Scott came back? WILL WE EVER FIND ANSWERS?

lol

The answer is yes you will…and all those questions will be answered in time…just be patient about it and you will be rewarded hehehehe.

As you can tell exciting things are about to happen…if you have any input on what you would like to see, just let me know and I'll try to find a way to add it in.

Plz review…I LOVE IT!

viper


	7. Beyond the shadow of a doubt

Well Hi again! Sorry this chapter took so long, I had to go out of town on short notice for two weeks. I worked on the chappie while I was away and I think I re-wrote of a dozen times. Hehehe

I hope all my re-writes just made it better and I hope you readers love it. Exciting things are beginning to happen and I thank you all for being patient with my writing.

Disclaimer: I one none of the characters in my story…they belong to some rich ppl at Marvel.

And this chapter and the one to follow it is loosely based off the song "Patience" by Guns N' Roses, so if you go and look up the lyrics to the song I think it really make the chappie come alive. It a touching song…to me anyway.

So I hope you enjoy the next installment to A Place to be Wanted.

_Shed a tear cause I'm missing you, I'm still alright to smile._

_Girl I think about you every day now._

_Was a time when I wasn't sure, But you set my mind at ease._

_There is no doubt your in my heart now._

_GN'R_

The room was wrapped in darkness without a trace of movement…except for every now and again when a dark figure would run his hands through his hair. Logan had receded to his room after "walking in" on Marie and the winged kid…and he had little to no intention of leaving. Logan could hardly believe that he was allowing her to make him feel this way. He hadn't felt this wounded since Jean had died and he had sworn to himself that he would never feel that way again…and yet here he was…stuck in his room like a helpless kitten.

Slowly Logan felt himself relax and melt into the darkness and his eyes began to close…. until a light rapping on his door scrapped against his nerves. He thought for a second that it might be Marie…trying to discover why she hadn't seen him all day but he quickly dismissed the idea, she was probably off with the winged guy anyway. Thinking about Marie belonging to someone else caused a low growl to grow in the back of his throat…but Logan quickly pushed it away.

Since he wasn't really in the mood to deal with people, Logan grunted a very unfriendly "go away" at his visitor, but the new comer wasn't going to be deterred so easily. Slowly the doorknob began to turn, letting a sliver of light into the darkness….Logan instantly regretted not locking it.

"Logan?"

The wolverine sighed….he would know that voice anywhere…it was Storm and he almost wished that it had been Marie.

"Logan are you in here?"

"No."

After Logan's sort reply a low chuckle met his ears and the small sliver of light changed to fit the gaping whole where the door had been pushed open.

"Lord Logan. Its as dark as a black cat in a coal mine."

With that Storm flicked on the lights to see Logan lying on the bed with his head raised, lifting an eyebrow at Storms very out of character statement.

"I saw it in a movie last night. Now come on get up you've been in here all day and its almost time for dinner."

Logan had always known that there was something about Storm that worked his nerves and now he knew what it was… she posed a very strong motherly streak.

"Not hungry."

"Don't give me that…you love to eat. Is something wrong?"

"No."

Storm looked thoughtfully at Logan for a moment. The wolverine may not have been the easiest person to read, but after living and working with him for so long, Storm could tell that Logan's seclusion dealt with more than just his usual bad boy attitude. After contemplating this for a moment, Storm made her way over to Logan's bed and softly sat on its side.

"I know you don't take well to conversation, but if something's wrong Logan…you need to sort it out…instead of locking your self up in you room. This isn't like you at all."

"I can look after myself Storm. I didn't take well to advice before I came to this place and I intend to keep it that way."

With that Logan sat upright on his bed and slowly stood. As he turned to leave Storm's calm voice held his back.

"I'm going to postpone your meeting with Scott and the Professor until you get things sorted out."

Logan didn't turn around, but his body tensed a little…

"Why would you do that?"

"Well for one, I think Scott can survive a little while longer and secondly…"

Storm rose and came behind Logan, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"…when you care about someone you sometimes put their needs before your own."

Giving Logan a soft smile, Storm made her way out the door, leaving her final words to hang in the air. When he was alone in his room, Logan thought about all the things Storm had said. He generally didn't listen to the ideas of others, but the woman had made some very strong points. For one thing he was beginning to get hungry…and he really needed to sort things out with Marie.

Not that he couldn't have figured that out on his own…but the wolverine isn't always logical.

Flicking off the lights to his room, Logan made his way down the hall until he reached two tall oak doors that led to the outside world. After pushing the doors open, Logan proceeded to the courtyard. This had always been a place that the Wolverine to come and think…without the risk of being interrupted. With a grunt Logan roughly sat down on a stone bench conveniently located underneath one of the courtyards numerous trees.

Closing his eyes Logan leaned his back against the tree feeling its rough bark slide across the nape of his neck.

Logan could hardly believe that just a few short days ago he had doubted his feelings for Marie. But he knew that was different now. He had discovered that he was in love with her…just when she had decided to move on from him. With his painful realization the Wolverine tried to comfort himself by thinking up all the reasons why Logan and Marie just weren't meant to be together.

The one idea that stuck out in his mind was the fact that Marie wasn't his type of girl anyway.

She was a sweet, yet opinionated girl with energetic eyes, a charming smile and mature features…defiantly not the usual girls Logan could pick up. Generally the type of female attracted to the Wolverine lived and thrived in late night bars.

They also tended to have missing teeth, to much perfume, gallons of bright, over used make up, bleached, frizzy hair and voices to wake the dead thanks to a thousand years of smoking 5 packs a day.

As he thought about these lovely girls, Logan had to repress a cringe. He could easily remember how they would press their grimy, STD-filled bodies up against his, just begging him to look down at their scantly clad forms.

Every now and again, Logan would take one of these girls out to his trailer and spend the night with them…trying his hardest to keep their mouths off of his…after all, he was only in it for the moment, not the emotional aspect. In the mornings he would simply shove then out the door and wait until it was time to fight again.

Marie had no business with a guy like him…but the Wolverine found himself willing to change. He was certain that he could easily give up that life just to be with her…but that wasn't important, for he would never get the chance.

But just because she couldn't love him in the way he loved her didn't mean that he should continue hiding from her…friendship was better than nothing.

Almost and hour had passed when Logan opened his eyes and pushed the thoughts of his past from his mind. He had bigger things to deal with. Standing, Logan knew he had to find Marie and he had a pretty good idea of where he could find her. Placing his usual scowl on his face, the Wolverine made his way to where Marie usually spent her Saturday nights.

Rogue couldn't remember a time when dinner had been more awkward. The usual meal group consisted of Kitty, Jubes, Peter, Warren, Bobby and herself talking and laughing with each other over the latest gossip. Tonight was different. The usually light-hearted Jubilee had taken her dinner in her room, mumbling about a paper she had due on Monday. So this just left Kitty and Peter out of the crazy love triangle that was beginning to take shape.

Bobby, Warren and Peter sat across from the girls, which didn't seem to help matters at all. Rogue hadn't talked to her assumed ex-boyfriend since she gave him her ring back, so the two of them just sat there, the tension in the air growing with eyes passing second. To make maters worse, Warren would occasionally glance up at Marie, giving her a knowing stare, bet never saying a word. Then Bobby and Kitty started to send little flirtatious glances back and forth to each other, apparently unaware of the fact that everyone could see them eyeing each other.

So this just left Peter…who was trying his hardest to stay out of the "lovers quarrel". He simply glued his eyes to his plate and poked his mashed potatoes repeatedly with his fork.

After staying like this for a while, Kitty suddenly announced that she was going to check on Jubes and bounced out of the dining hall.

Needless to say, just a few minutes later Bobby had a "brilliant" idea…

"I think I'll go too…ya know…to make sure that they're not lonely of anything. I'll catch you guys in the lounge later."

And with that the iceman raced after Kitty Pryde, leaving Rogue, Warren and Peter in an uncomfortable situation.

"Hey Warren…"

"Yeah Rogue?"

The Arc Angel lifted his eyes from his meal and met Marie's, trapping her in his gaze.

"Um…you know… I've been meaning to tel you that…um… that what happened in the Librar----"

"I…gotta go. Storm asked me to see her about…something. I'll see you later tonight. Bye Peter."

And without saying another word to Marie, Warren quickly slipped from the room. When everyone besides Marie and Peter had left the table, Peter stopped stabbing at his potatoes and asked Marie a very dangerous question…

"Now what was that all about?"

Suddenly Marie plastered a fake smile to her face and laughed uneasily…

"Wow… I gotta run, ya know what sweet tea can do to a girls bladder…" She laughed again, "I'll see ya tonight."

And with that, Marie zipped from the room, leaving a very dumb-founded Peter alone with his mashed potatoes.

A few hours later, the group met up in the lounge and the mood was greatly different. Everyone seemed to have forgotten the uneasy air… everyone except Marie. She hadn't yet recovered from the questioning stare she had received from Warren at dinner, but she tried to hide her uneasiness. Everyone else seemed so happy…why ruin it?

Peter sat at a table with his drawing pad, Jubes leaning over him, a thoroughly interested expression on her face. The remaining two girls sat on the couch, cheering on Warren and Bobby who were locked in a fierce game on Ping-Pong.

While Kitty was busy pulling for Bobby, she began twisting her light brown ponytail around in her hand, eyeing Bobby closely.

"I call winner for next game."

Kitty announced her position while slightly winking at Bobby, causing him to faultier and allowing Warren to take the upper hand…for the moment.

"Gosh Kitty! Your gonna make me loose!"

"But I didn't do anything."

The iceman chuckled a little as he sent Warren the next serve. As Marie watched…she couldn't help but hope that Warren would loose. That way she could talk to him about what happened while the others were distracted. Pulling her legs up, Rogue rested her chin on her knees hugging them tightly.

She tried to focus of the game, but Rogue was find that to be more and more difficult. She simply couldn't tear her mind off of why she hadn't see Logan all day. The thought bothered her…even on his most elusive days the Wolverine made a point to stop by her room, but today there was nothing.

When the game was ties Rogue sat up streight, waiting for one of the boys to slip up…

"Oh my GOD! Peter!"

The whole room whipped their heads around to see why Jubilee had screamed…including Warren who had just sent a shot soaring towards Bobby.

That was when he saw his chance. Before Warren could react Bobby had sent the Ping-Pong ball flying across the table and scored a point…winning the game.

"YES! I won, I won! Warren lost! Nah-ne-nah-ne-nah-nah!"

At his victory, Bobby did a little jig around the table, shaking his butt…causing Warren to roll his eyes.

"Its not fair…you cheated."

"Did not. You took your eyes away while the game was still going…I just took advantage."

"But Jubes screamed."

Warren shoved his thumb in the girl's direction to see her holding a tan colored piece of paper in front of her face.

"Yeah Jubes…what was that all about?"

Kitty slid off the couch and walked over to Peter placing her hands on her hips. Jubilee promptly shoved the piece of paper in Shadow Cat's face, smiling happily.

"Isn't Peter's picture just beautiful?"

The group rolled their eyes at Jubes for scaring then over a picture…but Peter seemed to swell with pride. Kitty studied the drawing in her hands and smiling, she handed it back to Peter.

"It really is something…you should think about drawing professionally. Now Bobby…I think I have a Ping-Pong game to win."

Still smiling, Kitty walked over to the table and picked up a paddle…putting on her silliest game face. She was soon joined by Bobby and the quickly locked themselves into a fierce battle. Peter had gone back to drawing with Jubes and Warren was just standing against the wall, shyly glancing at Rogue.

Marie knew that she had to do something…so gather her nerves, Marie slid over by Warren and lowered her voice.

"I need to talk to you."

Warren nodded and led them to two chairs off in the corner of the room. Once Marie was seated, she just sat there…twisting her hands in her lap. She really hadn't thought of what to say to Warren, after all, he was one of her best friends. The silence seemed to stretch on forever and Rogue almost regretted getting herself into this mess.

After what seemed like an eternity, Warren softly cleared his throat and leaned forward.

"You said you wanted to tell me something."

"Yeah…um…" Rogue swallowed hard, it was now of never, " Yeah…about what happened in the library…"

"Have you thought about it?"

"I have actually…and…"

Marie tore her eyes away from her hands and looked up and met Warren's eyes. In his eyes Rogue could see all of his innocence flooding out. It had obviously taken a great deal of courage for Warren to kiss her…and now she was preparing to crush his hopes.

But she had to.

Marie knew that she would never be able to be with Logan if Warren was around, and she told herself that it would hurt Warren more to lead him on…when Rogue knew in her heart that she didn't love him.

"Look Warren. I really care about you…I thin you're a wonderful person…but I just don't think that—"

"I understand."

"What"

Rogue must have looked quite shocked at Warren's reply because he chuckled softly.

"I said that I understood." Warren took Marie's hands in his, " I've done a lot of thinking myself and I think I've realized how out of place I was. I mean, you had just broken up with Bobby and then I came waltzing in…I didn't mean to pressure you. I suppose I was just hopeful that you would be my first girlfriend."

That was when Rogue realized how vulnerable Warren had made himself when he kissed her. She was sure that his father never allowed him to date and Marie dared to guess that she had been his first kiss. Warren was still an innocent child in that aspect and Rogue felt a little sorry for turning him down.

"I'm sorry."

Marie dropped her eyes to where Warren was holding her hands and felt his tighten his grip slightly.

"Don't be." He began to stand and whispered in her, " But I'll still be here if you change you mind."

With that Warren slid out of the room, unnoticed to all except Marie. She noticed that once Warren was gone she could breath a little easier…he didn't hate her. After going over the conversation in her head, Rogue moved back over to the couch where Kitty was winning the Ping-Pong match by a strong lead.

_That kid must either have a lot of guts, or one strong death wish…_

Logan threw his head back over his shoulder to look at the person who had run into him.He understood that the hallway was dark…but he wasn't exactly the smallest person in the world either.

_Kid needs to watch where he's goin'_

Logan turned his head around just in time to see that pillar that was getting ready to cream his head. Putting his arms out in front of him Logan stopped before he ran into it, shaking his head.

_Maybe I need to watch where I'm goin'_

He looked over his shoulder one last time to make sure the kid hadn't seen him nearly make a fool of himself and saw the tips of two white wings disappear around the corner. Logan hadn't noticed the wings before.

_No frickin' way. Its that winged kid! What was his name…Wally Something-or-other? Wonder whats eating him…_

Logan decided it didn't matter…at least he wasn't hanging all over Marie. That was all he would need to make his day sink even lower. The wolverine was snapped out of his thoughts when he stopped at the entrance of a brightly-lit room.

Allowing the darkness of the hall to shield him, Logan watched as Marie laughed and joked with her friends. She seemed so happy and carefree, her white hair delicately framing her face and moving gently as she laughed. Logan just couldn't bring himself to ruin her good mood by cornering her about what he saw in the library. So with a deep sigh, Logan walked over to the neighboring set of stairs and sat on its steps. He had waited this long for Marie, he figured he could wait a little longer. Knowing that the Professor was asleep and couldn't bother him about it…Logan lit a cigar and held it in his mouth….he had nothing better to do anyway.

While he smoked he couldn't help but think back to the day when he had first kissed Marie. She wad been complaining about his smoking habits, when she decided to go running though that stupid field, daring him to catch her. Logan stared at the cigar in his hands as he thought about how wonderful that kiss had been. Sighing again, he placed the cigar back in his mouth and chewed on its end. He would wait for her.

Marie had actually begun to enjoy herself when that familiar small filled her nose. There was no mistaking it. The sent had been light at first, but now if consumed her senesces and begged her to follow it.

The smell of Logan's cigar was beginning to drive her mad. If she could smell it then that meant that the Wolverine was near by. But just to make sure she wasn't imagining things Rogue stood and walked over to her friends…

"Do you smell that?"

"Yeah it's the unmistakable smell of Bobby loosing a Ping-Pong game…"

Kitty laughed and sent Bobby another shot…

"That's not what I'm talking about."

"Come on Rogue…your imagining things."

"No I'm not Bobby. I can smell it!"

" Ok Nancy Drew… what can you smell?"

Marie knew her mind wasn't playing tricks on her and it really pissed her off to know that Bobby wouldn't take her seriously.

"Oh never mind!"

Still slightly aggravated at Bobby, Rogue left the room and move into the dark hallway. It looked completely deserted, but Marie decided to follow her senses. Placing one hand on the wall, she quietly followed the scent of Logan's cigar. After walking for a while, Marie was beginning to think that she was on a wild goose-chase. She was about to turn around when she came up to a set of dark stairs. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the glowing end of a shortening cigar.

After breathing in sharply, Marie hoped the dark figure of the steps was who she was looking for.

"Logan?"

OK! So that's the chapter! Tell me if ya loved it, hated it, or you simply don't care.

I hope to see some big developments in the next two to three chapter and I hope you guys continue to read my story! I LOVE YA! Keep sending me your wonderful ideas, it keep me interested in my story to know that you lovely readers are interested as well 

Viper


	8. Bringing me closer

All right! Here's the next chapter! Once again its based off the song Patience by GN'R.

I hope you all like semi-mushy stuff, cause that's what your gonna get. Just as a warning…

Disclaimer: I take absolutely NO credit for the characters in the story…they are not mine and they never will be. But I do own the plot…at least that's something…

I love all you reviewers…you really do make my day and I appreciate you sooooooo much! If there's anything really wrong with this chappie, let me know and I'll do my best to fix it. I have no one to proof my story and I don't always catch everything…but that's what you ppl are for right?

So its really late and my brain in about to give out…. Viper tired….

And I'm rambling…

But I hope you all enjoy the next chappie to A Place to be Wanted!

_I sit here on the stairs, cause I'd rather be alone._

_If I can't have you, I'll wait here._

_Some time i get so close but I can't speed up the time_

_She no longer has one more thing to consider..._

_Guns N' Roses_

Marie's heart skipped a beat when the dark figure on the stares turned to face her. Logan's weathered face was shadowed in the darkness, but his eyes pierced through it and Marie could see intense emotion swirling in his deep eyes. He seemed to freeze for a moment when he saw her, loosing all sense of concentration…and then he abruptly turned his back to her.

"Hey kid."

Even though she couldn't see his face, Rogue guessed that Logan had a slight scowl on his features as he stared into the night. Running her hands through her hair Marie slowly made her way down the few steps separating them. She took the steps with care, running her hand along the wall, praying that she wouldn't miss one of the dark ledges.

When she reached the step where Logan sat, she gently placed herself beside him…the darkness keeping her from seeing just how close they truly were. Folding her hands in her lap, Marie sent her glance over to Logan, where she tried her best to study his features. While her eyes strained in the darkness, Logan seemed to have no problem…his eyes were relaxed and slowly moving about the hall as if it was mid-afternoon, but it was obvious he was avoiding Marie's delicate figure.

"Logan…"

" Yeah?"

Even though he acknowledged her presence, Logan never looked at her…he kept his eyes straight ahead of him. Wanting to capture Logan's attention, Rogue softly moved her gloved hand over his thigh and let it rest there gently. As soon as her hand landed on Logan's body, his eyes flashed down and locked on to the gloved fingers.

"What are you doing out here?"

Never letting his eyes leave Marie's hand, Logan spoke…

"The same reason you are. It a Saturday night and I have nothing to do…shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Stop trying to change the subject Logan…"

"Who's changing the subject?"

"Anyway…like you said its Saturday…we don't have curfew."

By this point Logan's eyes had traveled back to the cascading stairs and Marie didn't like it. She wanted…more like needed...his full attention.

"Logan, look at me."

When she gathered no response, Marie moved her hand up to Logan's shoulder.

"Logan is something bothering you?"

"No"

Not believing Logan's weak lie…Marie softly leaned closer to Logan's face and whispered…

"Look at me."

_Damn her…_

Logan could feel Marie's warm breath on his face and as much as he didn't want to, his eyes traveled over to her lips. Their faces were closer that he wanted to admit and Logan made a guess that in the darkness Marie couldn't see that their lips were nearly touching.

It took all he had not to lean in and kiss her full on the mouth, but Logan had to remember what he saw in the library…she had moved on from him. After a few seconds of sitting in the darkness, Marie suddenly moved away and plastered a silly grin on her face.

"Got ya!"

Giggling, she patted Logan on the back and reached for his cigar. Noticing what she was going for, Logan jerked the cigar out of her reach, leaving her to grasp at the air.

"Oh no ya don't. You may have tricked me into looking at you, but you will not…I repeat…will not steal my cigar."

"Come on Logaaaann," Marie drew out the last syllable, " You know I don't like them."

"Too bad."

Placing the nearly gone cigar back on his lips, Logan looked over to see a very poutie Marie staring at him.

"Pleeeeaaaassseeee?"

"No. Its almost gone anyway."

Sighing Logan blew out a puff of smoke…he knew Marie got what she wanted…she captured his attention and had managed to lighten the mood.

"Your so mean to me."

"Really now?"

Marie leaned her head on Logan's broad shoulder and nodded.

"Yes."

"Mind telling me how?"

Rogue was silent for a moment as she pointed in the direction of the cigar.

"You broke my heart."

Logan knew she was talking about the fact that he was refusing to give her the cigar…but the comment stung…

_Actually kid…you broke mine._

When Logan only snorted Marie shifted her head so she could look at him.

"You don't care that you broke my heart?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Payback."

Marie was highly confused by Logan's statement… payback for what? As far as she knew…she had done nothing wrong. Lifting her head off Logan's shoulder she looked into his eyes hoping to see a sign that he was joking…but there was nothing. Logan's eyes were serious and Marie understood that whether she knew it or not…she had done something to hurt him.

And as quickly as it had come…the light, playful mood evaporated.

"Did I do something?"

_No kid…you didn't do anything._

If Marie could have heard Logan's thoughts she would have been able to hear the sarcasm dripping off every word. But since she couldn't…the effect was lost. At Logan's silence Marie scrunched her delicate features, thinking of what to say.

"Logan, if I did something…please tell me. I don't want you to be mad at me."

"I'm not mad."

"Then what? I wanna know."

"Forget it kid. It's not your fault I'm to late. Just promise we'll stay close, ok?"

When Logan looked over at Marie, he saw that she had an extremely determined look on her face, even though her eyes still seemed a tad confused. As she opened her mouth to speak, Logan didn't expect the words to be so daring.

"No Logan. I am not going to simply forget it. You're not making any sense! To late for what? You _will _tell me what's wrong."

Her voice had risen as she spoke, so as the sentence came to a close, she was practically yelling at Logan…and he didn't like it.

"Stop it. Just calm down…there's no reason for you to get all fired up. That's my job."

"Well you weren't doing a very good job."

Even though her words were still hard, Marie had lowered her voice and Logan knew he had won the battle…but he had yet to win the war. So taking a deep breath, Logan decided that the only way to keep his friendship with Marie was to tell her what was bugging him.

"Ok kid. You wanted to know…so I'll tell you." Marie suddenly looked very interested…. "You're my problem."

The words didn't come out like Logan had planned them in his head and he knew that the moment they slipped out…he was in deep trouble.

"Well." Rogue gathered her composer, " If that's the way you want it…I'll just leave."

Marie stood from her place on the stairs and brushed off her jeans. If Logan didn't want her company…she wouldn't make him put up with her…even if it did rip her heart out. After all they had been through…how could he just dump her on her ass like she was nothing? Marie decided that as soon as she got back to her room, she was throwing his stupid dog tags out the window. The pain in her heart was slowly turning into rage and as she began to step away from him, Marie couldn't help but have the last word….

Throwing her head over her shoulder, Rogue shot Logan the insult she thought would hurt him the most….

"I hate you."

As she turned to leave, Marie felt something grip her gloved wrist. The grip was firm, defiantly not painful, but Marie yelped out of instinct.

" No you don't."

Marie turned to see that Logan had stood and had his hand wrapped around her wrist. Even though she was a step higher than him…the Wolverine still towered over her, his powerful form holding her still.

"What?"

"You don't hate me."

Feeling cornered, Marie tried to jerk her wrist free from Logan's grip…

"How do you know what I feel? You don't know me."

"That's B.S. and you know it. I know you better than anyone, just like you know me."

At his words, Rogue felt the struggle die with in her. Feeling embarrassed about how she had acted, Marie tilted her head to the floor. Seeing that she had given up the fight, Logan loosened his grip on her wrist, but didn't release it. Instead he ran his hand lower until he found hers and gently laced their fingers. With his other hand, Logan gently touched her chin and lifter her face towards his.

"Let me try again ok? I'm not mad at you Marie…I could never be mad at you. You're an amazing person and I guess I'm just downed at the fact that you belong to someone else. Get it?"

Logan's eyes searched hers for a sign that she understood what he was trying to say. The Wolverine had never been good with words, but if anyone would understand him…it would be the woman in front of him. After a second, Marie's eyes lit up and Logan knew that she understood.

"Logan….are you saying…are you saying that you like me? Like…like me, like me?"

Chuckling at her graceful way with words, Logan nodded…

"Yeah…that's what I was getting at."

A smile creeping over her face, Marie squealed and wrapped Logan in a massive hug. As her warm body pressed against his, Logan couldn't help but hug her back…even though he knew she had yet to register the last part of his statement. After a moment of standing close together…Marie pulled away and gave Logan a thoughtful look.

"Hold on…you said something about me belonging to someone else…"

"Yes. Because you do."

"Logan…you know I'm not with Bobby."

Unlacing his fingers from Marie's, Logan ran his hands through his hair.

"I'm not talking about him…"

"Then who...?"

"That kid."

Marie rolled her eyes…

"That helps. Could you be a little more descriptive."

"The one from the library…the winged kid…"

Logan's stomach rolled over as the thought about that grimy kid putting his hands on _his_ Marie…his Marie…he liked the sound of that…

Logan took his mind off his stomach when he heard Marie groan and saw her lean up against the railing of the staircase, hands closed around her face. Not really sure what was happening, Logan took a step forward, wanting to be ready for anything.

"God…."

"Marie?"

"I can't believe this!"

"Marie?"

"How the fu—"

"Marie!"

Marie slowly took her hands away from her face and looked up and Logan.

"What…"

"What was that all about?"

"Did you actually see…"

Realizing what she meant, Logan stuck his hands in his pockets…

"Yeah. Yeah I did."

With another groan Marie slowly started to slide down the wall…until Logan caught her.

"Oh no you don't. I didn't spill my guts to you so you could start rambling incoherently."

Leaning into Logan's warm arms Marie felt herself start to laugh….

_Leave it to Logan to make me feel better…_

"I didn't even know you knew that incoherently meant."

"I know a lot of things…and yet you're always surprised."

Laughing harder, Marie thought about how much she loved the man holding her... even on his best days Bobby never made her laugh like this. Slowly three little words started to form in her head and before she could think about what she was saying…the words slipped out.

"I love you."

"What?"

Logan's eyes flashed with sudden excitement…

"I said I love you. You spilled your guts, so I spilled mine."

"But what about…um..."

"Warren?"

_So that's his name…_

"Yeah…him."

"I guess I have some explaining to do."

"Guess so…"

Without leaving Logan's side, Rogue began her story. She explained about her break up with Bobby and how that lovely chain of events led her to the library.

"I was trying to find something to take my mind off everything…"

From there she explained about how Warren practically cornered her and started talking about how sorry he was about the break up. When she got to the kiss, her words softened and she seemed wholly regretful for everything that happened.

"I knew it was the wrong thing to do…but as soon as he kissed me…I had this feeling come over me. It was like I was kissing you…and I totally forgot about Warren. That's about where you come in"

"Yeah…lucky me."

"Now don't be so hard on yourself. I never felt anything for Warren…he's just a friend and I told him that right before I found you. I've already told you…I love you Logan."

As she spoke, she took one small step towards the Wolverine and pressed her chest up against his.

"I love you."

Feeling their bodies pressed together, Logan slid his arms around Marie's slender waist and brought his face closer to hers.

"You through those words around easily…"

"That's because they're true."

Pulling Rogue's body tighter against his, Logan breathed against her face and when he spoke, his voice was thick.

"So…when you kissed him…and thought of me, how was it?"

Marie's voice caught in her throat and when she could find the words, they were laced with emotion.

"Absolutely wonderful."

Lifting her face towards Logan's, Marie ran her gloved hands up Logan's back until they rested in the nape of his neck.

"But not real enough."

As she spoke, a sly grin creped upon Logan's lips… Leaning forward Logan brushed his lips lightly against Marie's, teasing her…

"Well…we'll have to fix that."

Without giving Marie anytime for response, Logan crushed his lips against hers and began finding every crevasse in her delicate mouth. While he was exploring, Rogue was indulging in the powerful surge running through her body. Passion flowed through her veins and she never wanted this feeling to end.

But Logan broke the passionate kiss and looked deep into Marie's eyes, gently running his rough fingers over her pink lips…

"So have you talked with the professor about how you can do this?"

"Not yet…but its wonderful…"

Sighing, Marie rested her head in the crook of Logan's neck and held him close. As they stood there, enjoying each others company…Logan softly began to hum the song that had been stuck in his head all day…Patience by Guns N' Roses.

His patience had finally paid off.

As the song began to close, Logan felt Marie go limp in his arms. Adjusting to her weight, Logan gazed down on Rogue's sleeping face…she seemed so peaceful lying in his arm and he could only hope that she was dreaming about him. As he made his way down the hall Logan continued to hum until he reached the door to the girl's room.

Kicking the door open with his foot Logan quietly walked over to Marie's bed and laid her gently on it. After wrapping her in her covers, Logan shifted Marie's pillow under her head and felt something cold against his fingers. Sliding his hand underneath the pillow, Logan unearthed a slender metal chain with a dark tag attached to the end.

After rolling it over in his hand, Logan smiled and placed his dog tags back under her pillow, patting it gently. He then leaned forward and placed one last delicate kiss on her lips as he turned to leave.

"I love you too kid."

And with that he softly closed the door to Marie's dorm and walked down the hall to his own empty room.

That night, he slept peacefully for the first time in years.

There you go! That's the chappie. I hope you loved it, if so, let me know!

Schools getting ready to start back up so updates will be a tad slower, but never fear! They will be there!

I love you ppl!

Viper


	9. Trouble in Happiness

HI THERE! I am sooooo sorry that it had taken me so long to update, school has just been crazier than I had suspected.

But I'm back and I hope my story is just as good as it ever was **grins** everyone who has reviewed means so much to me. All of you make my day when I read what you say. I hope you all continue to review my stuff…no matter how long it takes for me to update.

Disclaimer: I own nothing…. at all. Seriously…these characters belong to the lovely ppl at Marvel and I have just borrowed them for my evil purposes….MUHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! oh yeah and the song "Lips of an Angel" belongs to hinder.

But yeah…

I hope you all enjoy another installment to A Place to be Wanted!

_Its really good to hear your voice_

_saying my name it sounds so sweet, _

_coming from the lips of an angel _

_hearin' those words it makes me weak…_

_Hinder_

She still couldn't believe how lucky she was. It had only been a few hours, but Marie was already imagining how wonderful Logan was going to make her life. The moment the sun's first rays had hit her face, Rogue's eyes had flashed open and a smile graced her soft features; this was the first day of her relationship with Logan.

After hurriedly brushing her teeth, Marie ran a comb through her tangled hair and threw on her clothes faster than she had ever done. Her heart pounded with excitement as she raced down the hall to Logan's room, ignoring the looks she gathered from a few early rising students. When she reached the door, Marie paused. As she placed a warm hand against the cold doorknob, she couldn't help but hope that Logan was still asleep. Marie knew that he was usually awake before dawn…but she wanted the pleasure of waking him herself.

Gently twisting the knob, Rogue slid open the door, trying her hardest to keep it from squeaking. When there was a gap big enough for her to fit through, Marie slipped into the room. Once the door was safely closed behind her, she shot a hopeful glance over to Logan's bed…and to her relief, he was still lying in it…deeply asleep. Feeling a sly smile creep upon her lips, Rogue tiptoed her way over to the other side of the bed and hovered beside it for a moment. For a brief second Rogue thought about the last time she had disturbed the Wolverine in his sleep. Out of reflex, she brought her hand up to where his adimantium claws had pierced her heart. Softly looking at Logan's sleeping figure, Marie had a feeling that this time would be different.

Moving slowly as not to alert him, Marie pulled back a corner of the covers and glided her body in between the sheets, automatically feeling the heat from his body beat against her bare skin. Following through with her plan, Rogue pressed her body against Logan's sleeping form. For a moment she feared his reaction to her presence, but the fear subsided when the sleeping man rolled to face her and wrapped his arm around her waist.

Breathing deeply, Rogue melted into his embrace and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, two half opened hazel orbs gazed back at her…she couldn't help but smile.

"Mornin' Sugar."

"Hey."

Logan's voice was barely audible, sleep still heavy in his features. Still smiling, Marie raised her hand and ran her fingers softly over his face, feeling the light stubble as she traced his cheek and chin.

"Ready to face the day?"

"No…" Logan rubbed his eyes, "what time is it?"

Leaning up, Marie took a quick glance at the clock.

"Almost six…sleeping late aren't we?"

Yawning, Logan untangled his arms from Marie and leaned up…instantly Rogue felt the cold on her skin.

"For once I was actually sleeping."

"Good dreams?"

"Yeah…you could say that."

As Logan stood, he threw a quick glance over his shoulder and smiled at the slender figure lying in his bed. After running his fingers through his hair, Logan walked over to his dresser and started rummaging through it.

Propping herself up on her elbows, Marie couldn't help but run her eyes over Logan's body. Since he slept in only his boxers, Rogue was getting an eyeful of the man in front of her. The toned muscles in his back rippled as he moved and Rogue felt herself getting flustered. Rising from the bed, she crossed to where Logan was pulling on a faded pair of jeans. Standing behind him, Rogue wrapped her arms around him and ran her soft hands over his chest.

"Logan…"

Slowly her hands moved until her fingers hooked around his belt loops…

"Logan…"

Her voice was breathy as Logan turned to face her. After a moment he lowered his face to hers and placed a delicate kiss on her lips. Pulling Marie close, Logan deepened the kiss and ran his hands over her back. The couple continued this way until Logan felt something attempting to unbutton his jeans. Moving his hands over hers, Logan gently pulled her hands away and broke the kiss, causing Marie to whimper. Chuckling at her reaction, Logan kissed her hand.

"Lets wait to see if you little mutation is under control."

Marie simply turned her face down and gazed up at Logan with the best puppy face she could muster… but all he did was hold her at arm length and point a finger at her face.

"Now…I want this just as much as you do. But I also don't want the life getting sucked out of me if something goes crazy with that skin of yours."

"But…"

"No buts…we'll both just have to be patient. Now let go get some breakfast. "

Knowing that he had won the mild argument, Logan threw on a black wife beater and left the room, slowing his pace until Marie caught up with him. As they made their way down the halls the two mutants kept relatively quiet…neither of them were quite sure of how the rest of the school would react when they learned of the newest relationship in Xavier's school for gifted youngsters.

When they reached the doors that led into the dining hall, Marie took a step closer to Logan and looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

"So…how do you think they will—"

"Your guess is as good as mine…"

Nodding, Marie began to push the double doors open, when something caught her hand. Pausing, Marie glanced down to see Logan's strong had grasping hers possessively…

"But lets give 'em somethin' to talk about."

Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Marie laced her fingers with Logan's and threw open the door to the dining hall. At first no one seemed to notice their entrance, but soon students started to notice the fact that Logan and Marie's hands were intertwined. Ignoring the questioning looks they were gathering, the couple walked through the room like everything was as normal as ever. After getting their breakfast, they made their way over to a deserted table and sat down.

Throughout the meal, Rogue kept her body close to Logan's and almost always had her hand resting on his leg. Every once in a while, the pair would share a sly smile in knowing that somehow, they were causing chaos in the institution. Once they had finished eating, Logan rose from the table and linked arms with Marie, pulling her up. Slowly they made their way out of the door, but as they walked something caught Marie's eye.

Taking a quick glance to her right, Marie saw her friends sitting at a near by table. While all of them were eyeing her…Warren was the one that caught her attention. Even though he looked away when she tried to meet his stare…. Rogue could see the look of pain that crossed his light features. And even though she didn't want to…Marie felt a pang of gilt hit her heart.

Alone again in the quiet halls, Logan let out an evil laugh.

"Did you see their faces?"

Throwing his hands in his pockets, Logan leaned his head back and waited for Marie's response…

"Yeah…"

"It was great…"

To his comment Marie only shrugged her shoulders…seeing the look on Warren's face had completely killed the good mood she had woken up with. Noticing that something was wrong, Logan stopped walking and turned to face her.

"Come on…where'd that good mood go?"

"Don't know."

Not believing her weak statement, Logan slung a strong arm over Rogue's shoulder.

"You know I'm not gonna believe that. Now whats up?"

Sighing, Marie wrapped her arm around Logan's waist and tried to think of the words to explain how she felt.

"I know this probably won't make much sense…but I kinda feel bad about what I've done to Warren."

"The winged kid?"

At Logan's name for Warren, Rogue couldn't help but laugh…

"Yeah him."

"What'd you do to him?"

"I told him that I didn't want to date him…and how he just saw me with you…I don't know, I just feel bad."

"I got ya. But its not your fault how you feel…hes just got to find a girl that right for him."

"And have you found a girl that's right for you?"

Smiling Logan pulled Marie closer…

"I think I have."

"She's a lucky girl"

"If you say so Marie."

"I know so."

With their conversation coming to a close, they continued to walk down the hall that led to the courtyard.

"Professor…we have to do something."

Scott stood in front of Xavier's desk, a discontented scowl engraved in his features.

"What would you have me do Scott?"

"I don't know…anything, but this can't be allowed to continue."

Shoving his hands in his pockets, the young man began to pace the room, breathing heavily in frustration. Then the door to the office swung open and Storm made her way into the conversation.

"They haven't done anything wrong. I don't see what all the commotion is about."

"Haven't done anything wrong!" Scott threw his hands in the air, "We have a student/teacher relationship in our building! And not to mention that fact that there is a possible 20 year plus age difference."

Strom crossed in front of the enraged Xman and calmly sat in a chair adjacent to the Professor's desk. Lacing her fingers in her lap, Orora's smooth voice filled the room.

"Technically…Logan is not employed by this school and who are we to judge two people's happiness?"

"I hate to point out Storm…that you are no longer the head of this school. The only person's opinion that I care to listen to is Xavier's."

Closing her eyes, Storm nodded in Scott's general direction, she knew that the calmer she stayed, the more frustrated Cyclops would become. Slowly Xavier wheeled around to the side of his desk and looked up at Scott with a serious expression.

"While I feel that your opinions are allowed to be expressed…I do not condone the attitude that you are taking with this situation. I must agree with Storm that we are not in a position to determine whether or not Logan and Marie's relationship is out of line. Now if you came to me with a overpowering reason for separating the couple, that might change things…but until that arises….I will not allow you to disrupt the atmosphere in this school."

"_They_ are the ones disrupting the atmosphere in the school Professor!"

"Enough. Until you have taken the time to think about what you are saying, I will ask that you leave my office and not speak of this matter to me again."

With the professor's words still hanging in the air, Scott stormed out of the office, leaving Storm alone with the elder man. Rising, Storm walked over to the professor and places a light hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you Professor."

Nodding, Xavier brought a hand up to rest on hers. Suddenly the Professors voice rang through Orora's head…

Its not over yet Orora… And as grim as it was, Storm knew that he was right…but she would enjoy seeing Logan's happiness…for now. 

There ya go! Sorry it was a tad short…. but I have a paper for English that's due tomorrow and I need to start writing it.

Let me know what ya think! Reviews make me day! And I'll try to have a new chapter up in a week or so….that's my plan anyway.


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